“It’s too late to eat. Besides, I want you to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure you’re all right. There’s a pizza place on the corner, I’ll go get you a slice.”
She shook her head. “I can’t eat the pizza there. I’m gluten intolerant. You need to go. You call me a slut, but you want to stay and look after me? Can you see a problem with that?”
“I did not call you a slut,” he said, although he knew he’d implied it. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
She looked at him suspiciously. “Fine,” she said grudgingly after a moment. “You still need to go. I want to sleep.”
The smudges under her eyes seemed to have grown darker and he knew staying here was only delaying her rest.
He stood. “All right, I’m going. But make sure you eat something.”
“Bossy Dom,” she muttered under her breath. He decided to pretend he hadn’t heard her.
“And you are to make an appointment with your doctor to get a check-up. Before you come back to the club, I want a medical certificate stating that you’re well.”
An alarmed look crossed her face. “What? You can’t do that.”
“I can,” he said firmly. “You could have been hurt tonight, Tara. It’s not acceptable.”
Seeing her so lifeless in Sloan’s arms had brought him to near panic. Dismissing his feelings for her wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped. Maybe they could have a relationship without getting serious. After all she’d obviously had ‘friends’ before. One of them had put an alarm system in her apartment. Too bad he hadn’t insisted that she move somewhere safer.
If she was his, he’d have her out of here so quick she’d have no time to protest. Maybe there was some way of getting her to move somewhere safer, somewhere closer to his place.
Alex shook his head. He’d decided to distance himself from her. Hadn’t he? He really wasn’t sure what he wanted right now. He didn’t want a relationship and yet the idea of not seeing her, of her being with someone else made his gut churn.
He needed to get his head together and think this through.
Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead. “Get some sleep. Remember, I want that medical certificate. And make sure you set the alarm behind me.”
As he walked out he couldn’t help but think that there must be some way they could both get what they wanted.
***
The ringing of her phone woke Tara from a deep slumber. She sat up and swiped at her chin. Urgh, she’d been drooling. So unattractive. She was grateful Alex hadn’t stuck around. She really wished he hadn’t insisted on bringing her home last night. Now he’d seen the dump she lived in.
Her phone stopped ringing and she slumped back on her sofa with a sigh. By the time Alex left she’d been too tired to bother making up her bed. She rubbed her eyes. She didn’t feel any more rested after…she looked at her watch…six and a half hours sleep. It wasn’t nearly enough, she felt like she could sleep for days. Her phone rang again and she searched around, finally finding it on the floor under the sofa just as it went silent.
She glanced at the missed calls—they were from her brother, Ben. She called him back as she rummaged around for some coffee.
“Hello.”
“Ben, how are you?” she asked warmly. “Sorry I missed your calls.”
“Hey, sis. I’m good.”
They chatted for a few moments.
“I thought I’d come visit,” Ben said suddenly. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked sharply. “Did you get the check I sent?”
Most of her salary went to Ben. He was twenty and studying to be a doctor. Ben’s trust fund should have covered his college tuition, but when their father had found out that he was gay he’d cut him off completely.
Their mother had died when they were kids and their father was a cold, unloving man. Both of his children had been a disappointment to him.
She still remembered the night Ben had shown up on her doorstep, near tears and shaking. He’d been seventeen. Back then, she’d lived in a nicer apartment in a better part of town. She’d managed to support them both through Ben’s last year of school. Then he’d gotten a scholarship to study medicine at Stanford. She’d been thrilled. But while the scholarship covered his tuition and books, he still needed money for his living expenses.
So she’d taken a job with Tim who paid more, even if the conditions sucked, and she’d moved into this apartment which was much cheaper than the one she’d been living in. Her other apartment had been furnished so she’d shopped around at second-hand stores and flea markets to find the furniture for this apartment.
She’d visited Ben a couple of times, but he’d never been here. She didn’t want him seeing how she lived, it would only make him feel guilty. He thought she’d moved because she to live closer to her work. It hadn’t been a complete lie. This apartment was closer. That was pretty much the only thing it had going for it.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Ben replied, but there was a funny note in his voice.
She stayed silent for a long moment, something she’d learned from Nate. He had a way of getting people to confess everything without saying a word.
Ben sighed. “Chris and I broke up.”
“Oh, Ben, I’m sorry.” She knew Ben would be heartbroken. He and Chris had been seeing each other for six months. She had to admit to feeling a bit relieved, she’d only met Chris once, but she hadn’t been too impressed. He seemed intense and a bit possessive. But Ben had really liked him. “Why don’t I come up for a visit?”
She didn’t know how she’d get the time off, or afford the trip at the moment, but if Ben needed her then she’d be there. The two of them only had each other.
“No, I’m fine, really. I’ve got a major assignment due and I should be studying. I’m just feeling a bit sorry for myself.”
“What happened?”
“He was getting really jealous. I couldn’t talk to another man without him flying off the handle so I had to break it off with him.”
“Sounds like you’re better off.”
“Yeah, I know. Like I said, I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”
They chatted for a while before hanging up. With a sigh, she curled up in the corner of her sofa and sipped on her coffee. She should to go to the store and buy some food, but she really didn’t feel like doing anything except vegging out and reading a book.
Her cell phone rang again and she picked it up, smiling as she saw who was calling.
“Ava, how are you feeling?” she said.
“Bored, bored, bored,” Ava replied. Roarke and Sam’s wife was pregnant with her first child and she was having a tough time with her pregnancy.
Tara chuckled.
“I’m sick of wallowing around the house, so I’m hoping that you’ll be up for coming over and having a few non-alcoholic drinks out by the pool. Max will pick you up and drop you home.” Max was Roarke’s driver.
“That sounds fantastic, I’ll be ready.”
***
Tara sat back with a laugh. There was nothing like being with your friends to make all your problems fade away. At least for a while. She looked around the table. Tilly sat to her left. She was laughing at a story McKenna, Ava’s good friend, was telling.
Beside McKenna sat Jacey. Jacey was married to Derrick, who was a member of Club Decadence. He was gorgeous and rich, with a sexy British accent. He was also totally in love with his petite wife.
Jacey stood and moved around the table, refilling everyone’s glasses. Holly smiled up at Jacey. Holly was happily married to Brax Jamieson. Brax and Holly didn’t live in Austin but they often came to visit. Holly covered a yawn with her hand. She looked so tired, poor thing. Wyatt, her eight-week old baby, was keeping his parents up late at night.
Tara thanked Jacey as she refilled her glass.
“I’m so glad you guys came today,” Ava said. “I’ve been s
o bored.” Ava’s pregnancy was really taking a toll on her; she had high blood pressure and insomnia. And she still had another four months to go.
“Are you feeling better, Tara?” Tilly asked as she stared at the table laden down with delicious food.
“You haven’t been feeling well, Tara?” Ava asked.
“She fainted at the club last night,” Jacey replied. Jacey’s husband, Derrick was the friend who had paid for the alarm system in Tara’s apartment. He’d brought her home one night from the club and had been troubled by the neighborhood she lived in. He had insisted on putting in an alarm system in to try and keep her safe. This was before he’d met Jacey.
“How did you hear that?” Tara asked. “I didn’t see you and Derrick at the club last night.”
“Come on, you know what bad gossips Doms are. Roarke told Derrick.”
“Well he didn’t tell me,” Ava said indignantly. “Neither did Sam.”
“They didn’t tell you because they didn’t want you to worry,” Tara said gently. “But there’s no need to worry, I’m fine. My blood sugar levels were low, that’s all.”
Tilly sent her a sceptical look but didn’t say anything.
“Roarke has become so overprotective,” Ava lamented. “And Sam is even joining in. I don’t know how I’m going to last another four months.”
“What did your doctor say?” Tara asked, grateful for a change in conversation.
“I have to rest and not stress. Roarke’s taken that to mean I can’t leave the house. As soon as I get up, either he or Sam are trying to usher me back into bed. They nearly had a fit when I said I wanted to go shopping yesterday. Mind you, I shouldn’t complain,” Ava said with a small smile. “They do look after me very well and they’re just worried. I’m pretty lucky.”
She was. Tara would give anything to have someone love her the way Roarke and Sam loved Ava. Her mind drifted to Alex. She could see him acting the same way as Roarke and Sam. If he ever fell in love she had no doubt he’d cherish the lucky woman.
But that person wouldn’t be her. He’d made that clear. She knew his concern over her last night didn’t mean anything; he’d do the same for any of the other subs who worked at the club.
“Is Derrick looking after Amalie?” Tara asked Jacey, trying to take her mind away from Alex. Jacey’s little girl was four months old and adorable.
“Yep. I’m really lucky he’s so hands on with her. He practically pushed me out the door. They adore each other.”
“Brax is the same way with Wyatt,” Holly said. “I just wish Wyatt would sleep longer than two hours at a time.” Wyatt had been four weeks premature and he’d had to spend a bit of time in the hospital after he was born until the doctors had been happy with his lung function.
“So, Tara, tell us what happened last night,” Ava said.
Damn it, she should have known she wasn’t going to get away with trying to change the subject. Tara sighed.
“You didn’t look well, Tara,” Tilly said with concern. “My heart nearly stopped when I saw you slumped in Sloan’s arms.”
“Ohhh, Sloan’s arms, huh?” Jacey said. “That man is hot.”
“He’s kind of scary,” Tilly added.
“Sounds like my kind of man,” McKenna joked.
“I was doing a scene with Sloan,” Tara told them. “Nothing more than that. I must have blacked out and the next thing I knew I was on a couch with Sloan, Nate and Alex looming over me.”
“Alex looked pretty worried about you,” Tilly said. “He took her home,” she told the others.
Tara sent Tilly an exasperated look. The other woman just shrugged and grinned. Most people just saw the shy, quiet Tilly, but when she was around people she trusted the real Tilly came out. Tilly was smart—extremely smart and she was very good at reading people.
“Alex took you home?” Ava asked. “You’ve never even invited us to your apartment.”
“Trust me, you’re not missing anything,” Tara said dryly. The others knew she didn’t have a lot of money, but she didn’t want them knowing exactly how badly off she was. “And Alex took me home because he felt responsible for me. You know how he is.”
“Yeah, hot and sexy,” Ava said. “So what happened when the two of you got to your place?”
“Nothing happened,” Tara replied. “Trust me. Alex is not interested in me.”
“He watches you all the time,” Tilly said. “A lot of the other Doms don’t want to scene with you because they think you’re his.”
“What? That’s ridiculous. We’ve never even played together. He probably wouldn’t even talk to me if he didn’t have to. And if he’s watching me it’s only to check that I’m doing my job properly.”
“Ah-huh, you keep telling yourself that,” Tilly teased. “He could have had one of us take you home, instead he did it himself. I bet he even walked you inside and tucked you in.”
“Alex took me home because he’s an overprotective Dom. He’d have done the same if you’d fainted.”
“I don’t think so.” Tilly shook her head.
“I know that Alex isn’t interested in me.”
“How do you know that?” Jacey asked.
“Because he told me so.”
They all stared at her.
She sighed. “I asked Alex out on a date, he turned me down. End of story.”
They were all silent for a long moment. Way to bring down the mood, Tara.
“Everything okay out here ladies? Can I get anyone anything?” They all glanced over as Sam walked up, a smile on his face. He leaned down and kissed Ava on the cheek. Straightening, he rubbed her shoulders as he looked around at everyone. “What’s wrong?”
“Alex told me that I can’t go back to the club without a medical certificate,” Tara blurted out the first thing she could think of. “Can he really do that?”
Sam frowned. “I’m with Alex on this, Tara,” he told her. “You fainted last night. You could have been seriously hurt. Go to the doctor, get checked out and you can come back. A bit more sleep wouldn’t hurt you, either. I know Roarke is going to back Alex up.”
She knew he would too. Besides, she had no intention of going to Roarke over Alex’s head.
She guessed she’d just have to suck it up and go see a doctor. Her job came with medical benefits so at least she didn’t have to worry about the cost.
“I’ll try and make an appointment for early next week,” she said. “I’m not on the schedule at the club until Thursday.”
“I’ll leave you ladies alone. Don’t tire Ava out,” Sam warned, kissing Ava on the cheek once more before walking away.
Ava stared after him. “That man has one fine ass.”
Sam wiggled his ass and everyone burst into laughter. The rest of the afternoon flew by and it wasn’t long until Tara found herself back in her dismal apartment with the peeling wallpaper and dated fixtures.
Lying back on the sofa with a sigh, she picked up one of her favorite books and let herself drift away from reality for a while.
***
“Tara?”
Tara looked around the busy cafe and saw Reagan walking towards her with a smile.
“Reagan, hi. What are you doing here?”
“I had a meeting with a client and thought I’d stop for a coffee after. Are you eating in?”
“No. I’m just getting lunch for my boss.”
“Oh.”
Did Reagan look disappointed?
“Well, maybe I can buy you a coffee another time?” Reagan asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.
Screw it.
“Let’s have one now. I’ll just tell my boss I’m late because there was a long line.”
Tara quickly paid for the food with a company credit card and sat down at a table while Reagan got them both coffee.
“I haven’t seen you at the club lately,” Reagan said as she sat down.
“No, I’ve been busy.”
It had been over a week since she’d fainted at the club,
but Tim had been so demanding lately that she hadn’t had time to see a doctor and get a medical certificate.
“You’ve got a funny look on your face. Do you have indigestion? I have some antacids in my purse.”
“Uhh, no, that’s okay. It’s not indigestion.”
“I find it hard to read people,” Reagan told her suddenly. “I’m very intelligent, but when it comes to relating to others, I struggle. I often misread signals. Sorry if I just said the wrong thing.”
Tara could see how lonely the other woman was. “You didn’t say the wrong thing. Did you hear about my episode at the club?”
“You mean how you fainted while doing a scene with Sloan?”
“Yeah.”
“Everyone knows about that,” she said. She looked Tara over. “Is that what’s wrong? You’re sick? Is it cancer? Diabetes? Heart disease?”
“Ahh, no, none of those things.”
“Oh well, that’s good,” Reagan told her.
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Tara had to smile. “The thing is Alex told me that I couldn’t come back to the club without a medical certificate. That’s why I haven’t been back.”
“Well, that makes sense. You’re employed by the club; they’re probably worried you’ll sue them if you’re injured. Get a medical certificate and you can come back.”
“I’ve been really busy at work and I haven’t been able to get to the doctor yet.”
She was also afraid of the possibility that the doctor wouldn’t clear her. She wasn’t feeling any better. She was exhausted. Of course, it didn’t help that Tim had been extra demanding lately. Luckily, she had a company laptop and she could do some of her work from home at night.
“Can’t you ask your boss for some time off?”
She imagined Tim’s face if she said she needed to take some personal time.
“Tim is a workaholic and he can be…ahh…” How could she word this without sounding disloyal? “Well, let’s just say he expects a lot from his employees.”
Reagan frowned. “He should still allow you time off to go to the doctor. Is he taking advantage of you? I know a really good employment lawyer.”
Tara smiled. “You sound very fierce.”
For The Love Of Sir Page 3
