Handcuffed in Housewares: Tulle and Tulips, Book 3

by Nikki Duncan

  “I think I’m beginning to get that.” Her smile was a little bigger this time. “But thank you for saying it again.”

  She’d stepped so far out of her comfort zone the night she’d allowed her friends to talk her into coming to him. With as fast as her brain was always working she’d no doubt considered every possibility and weighed the risks. And then she’d decided he was worth it. He would make sure she never regretted a moment with him.

  Leaning forward, he kissed her. He started easy and gentle before slowly easing her deeper and deeper into passion. She opened for him, hummed deep in her throat like she did when she got really turned on. With each exhale she released more of the weight of her past until the woman before him felt light and happy when he pulled her off her barstool and hugged her close.

  She’d be malleable to the idea of sex if he asked. The moment better suited tenderness and companionship. “Thank you for trusting me, Leigh.”

  She settled her head on his chest with a sigh. “Thanks for being worth it.”

  They’d shared a lot of intimacies in the last several weeks, but nothing had affected him as starkly as this moment. His mother had raised him to value women, to cherish them. He’d never met a woman he cherished more or who’d given him a better gift than what Leigh had just handed him.

  “Burton’s a god with a hammer and paint,” Misty stated as she pulled knickknacks from boxes and sat them around her home office. A giant bay window with floor-to-ceiling glass graced the west wall. The angled wall panels opened and would allow the ocean breeze to carry in the scent of Misty’s garden when she got it planted and her flowers bloomed.

  Deep purple Roman shades could let the light flow or be lowered to block it. The walls were painted the palest cream on top. Below a glossy white chair rail pale purple stripes, alternately glossy and flat, made the boldness of the shades pop. The color suited Misty perfectly and was accented in the knickknacks she was unpacking. It was stunning perfection.

  “I’d thank him with a kiss for this office if I thought Jace wouldn’t kick his ass after.”

  “He’s nothing like what I’d have expected.” Leigh smiled as she thought about the man she was growing to care for more and more. He’d made opening up safe and proven the he didn’t need risks for sex to be an adventure. “And I think he’d be an even match for Jace.”

  “You love him.”

  “No.” Yes. Her instinct for privacy made the denial instant. Her inner voice, though, refused to lie. Somewhere between bowling balls and cinnamon rolls she’d started falling in love.

  Misty turned, hugging a potted plant to her stomach. “You can’t sit there with a silly grin on your face and your eyes all soft and moony and expect me to believe you don’t love him.”

  “He’s a great guy. I’m having a good time with him.”

  Misty narrowed her eyes and sat the plant on the desk. “You told him. Everything.”

  Leigh ducked her head, trying to hide. She hated thinking about the past and Derek. She especially hated talking about them. To do it twice in one day…

  “Look at me.” Misty knelt in front of her to make sure she had Leigh’s gaze. She’d always been hard to avoid when she set her mind to something.

  Leigh really wanted to hide. Burton had allowed it, but Misty wouldn’t.

  “I’m not asking you to talk about Derek.” She took Leigh’s hands in hers. “I'm asking you to admit your feelings for Burton.”

  “I like him. A lot.”

  “You trust him. You know he won’t ask you to be someone you aren’t.”

  “So?”

  “Trust me, that’s a big deal. And it proves he’s nothing like Derek.” The only reason Misty knew about her past was because she’d been in the club that night. She’d been the kind of outrageous girl people would have expected to be with someone like Derek. Instead she had sent the guys to the hospital with Leigh.

  “So, you don’t date or stay overnight with men you barely know. You would never have given in to us that night and gone to Burton’s unless something had already happened.” Misty shifted so their eyes met. “Unless he’d already done something to show you could trust him.”

  “Fine.” A shrug was the best response she could muster, but even as she lifted her shoulder she knew it was a useless attempt at denying Misty. “You know how Jace says you gave him his family back?”

  Misty smiled. “Yeah.”

  “I guess I feel like Burton could be mine. How do you tell a man that and have him not run away, though? Especially a man who’s had one marriage combust.”

  “If he’s the right man, you don’t have to worry about it.” Misty patted Leigh’s knee. “If you’d have ended up with someone like Jace I think you’d have a right to worry. He’s too damaged for someone sweet like you.”

  “But Burton isn’t?”

  “Hell no.” Misty laughed. “For you and me, the only man that could ever be good enough is our opposite. You needed a nice guy. I needed a bad boy.”

  “Jace isn’t as bad as he wants people to believe.”

  “He’s got just the right amount of edge.” Misty chuckled as she went back to placing her knickknacks. “Though he still suggests long skirts and flowy shirts every chance he gets, he’s learned to accept that I’m not going to change what I wear to suit him. It helps that he knows I’m coming home to him every night.”

  “Do you ever worry he’ll get bored with you?”

  “No, and Burton won’t get tired of you.”

  “How do you know? How do you know he won’t change his mind about me?”

  “I’ve watched how he looks at you. Maybe he hasn’t said it yet, but that man loves you.”

  Leigh wanted to believe Misty. She yearned to believe Burton would always be happy with her. She ached with the need to know with certainty she was enough to keep him satisfied.

  As great as he was, and as great as they were together, she lacked the confidence to accept Misty might be right.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hearth and Home was buzzing when Leigh walked through the front doors with her clients. They’d spent the day shopping, having a blast with the barcode readers as they picked out things they needed for their new home as well as little things that would add the final touches.

  Kelly, the bride, came from a giant Greek family with a lot of money. The only daughter in a family with five sons, she was the princess used to getting her way. She had a gentle heart, but she wanted for nothing.

  The groom, Jonathan, came from a large but more modest family. His parents had both worked multiple jobs almost his whole life to make sure he and his brothers had the things they needed. He’d gotten his first job when he was fifteen and put himself through college on academic scholarships.

  The couple shared a warmth that needed to be reflected in the home Kelly’s parents bought for them. It was a giant place with grandeur in every fixture, so outfitting it with the warmth of the couple while keeping the varying guest budgets in mind was turning out to be trickier than she’d expected.

  They’d nailed down the formal and informal living and dining areas. They were hoping to finish off the bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchen at Hearth and Home.

  “I really think you’ll like how this place has rooms set up to show you how things go together.” Leigh pulled out her tablet and pulled up her list to make sure they didn’t miss anything on their must-have list. “We can even have staff rearrange stuff to show you other options.”

  “This is great!” Kelly exclaimed. Everything all day had been said with excitement. It seemed to be the only tone she had. Fortunately she was as sweet as she was perky so she wasn’t too annoying.

  “Our guests are going to hate us.”

  “They won’t, Jonathan.” Leigh tried to reassure him again. “Hearth and Home has stuff in every price range.”

  It was a routine they’d fallen into throughout the day. Kelly exclaimed and fell in love with everything. Jonathan worried about the price tag an
d the strain it would put on the friends with the lower budgets. Leigh assured him they would have a well-balanced registry with items everyone could afford.

  He exhaled like he had all day. Kelly had explained it was his way of trying to stop himself from worrying, but nothing would ever calm him totally.

  “Kelly says all invited guests are required to buy a gift.”

  Jonathan’s concerns were sort of endearing. “That depends on which wedding etiquette book you read. People are generally smart enough to buy in their budgets, though.”

  “You guys have said you have next to nothing for the kitchen.” Looking to start them off small, Leigh led them to the kitchen area. “This is a great place to find things that suit you but are in all the price ranges. You’ll find your day-to-day silverware and glasses, towels, pot holders, etcetera as well as the higher-end china and entertainment platters.”

  She handed Jonathan the gun, thinking he’d feel better if he was pulling the trigger on the lower-priced items. “As you can see, they have everything sorted by color. Since you’re going primarily with blue, why don’t you start there.”

  Kelly did as she had all day. She took Jonathan’s hand and led him toward the shelves while Leigh stepped back. She stayed close enough to mark off their list as they went through things, but far enough away they felt they were alone in their decisions.

  As she’d predicted, Jonathan found several inexpensive items to register for and Kelly was perfectly happy with every decision he made. She did have a louder opinion when it came to the formal china and silver.

  They worked their way through the kitchen and bedrooms before heading toward the bathrooms. An odd buzz of anticipation trickled through Leigh, heating her blood. She hadn’t been back to Hearth and Home since meeting Burton, and though she knew he was finished working there a perverse part of her wanted to find him handcuffed to a toilet.

  “Are you blushing?” Kelly asked as they moved nearer the wall of clocks.

  “No.” Leigh sounded almost as hyper as Kelly. “No,” she said more quietly. “I was just thinking.”

  “About a man?”

  “Yes.” She shrugged, trying to play it down. “I met a man here a couple months ago.” Had it really been months? It seemed like yesterday now that she was where they’d met. “He was unexpected.”

  “You gotta watch out for those unexpected meetings.” Jonathan slipped an arm around Kelly’s shoulder and squeezed her close. “They have a way of surprising you.”

  “I’ve heard that.” Leigh shut down their sidebar and moved their attention back to the registry.

  “Listen, the store’s going to close soon.” They were in one of the sample bathrooms, rearranging the toothbrush holders, soap dishes and towels. “We should wrap this up.”

  Kelly stopped moving things around and made a decision on which items to register for. Leigh crossed the last of their items off the list and slipped her tablet into her bag.

  “Excuse me.” A masculine voice called quietly from across the partial wall. It wasn’t any voice though. It was Burton’s and it had their first meeting snapping into Leigh’s mind. Her stomach flip-flopped. “I seem to be in a bit of a…bind.”

  “Burton?” Leigh called over the wall.

  “Hi, Leigh.” He said in response. “Could I get your help? Maybe you could bring a kabob skewer.”

  Her heart kicked and she was smiling as she excused herself from Kelly and Jonathan and walked around to the other bathroom. Her legs shook more violently with each step. There, sitting on the floor where she’d first seen him, was Burton. Unlike the first time, he had clothes on. Like the first time, he seemed to be cuffed to the toilet.

  She was torn between laughter and the desire to scold him. Her question came out as a little of both. “What have you done?”

  “There’s a perfect explanation.” He grinned as he shook his hands a little, rattling the cuffs against the pipe. “I don’t suppose you grabbed a skewer?”

  “You want me to use it on you this time?” She popped a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes. The way he was grinning, she knew he was playing some game. Since he was doing it when there were still customers around she also knew it wasn’t sex related. “What are you up to?”

  “I’m asking a beautiful woman for help.”

  “Burton.” If she was reading him wrong, if he was asking her to play some crazy, exhibitionist game, asking her to play out a fantasy… No. He’d never be so bold in an open store. He understood her better than that.

  “Come on, Leigh.” He winked. “I could use a hand down here. The key is hard to reach.”

  “You did this to yourself? What is wrong with you?” Shaking her head, she sat her things on the floor and moved forward. “What explanation could you possibly have this time?

  “I can’t believe you’re doing this.” She was getting onto a roll as she reached beneath the toilet for his hands. “You’ve cuffed yourself to the toilet in a busy store during open hours.” In a flash, she found her wrists cuffed together and he was pulling back to freedom.

  “Leigh,” Jonathan spoke from behind her. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

  “Burton.” Her heart pounded like she’d just run all out for several miles with demons chasing her. “I’m working,” she whispered. “If you’re here to get your ass kicked you won’t be disappointed.”

  “She’s fine.” Burton spoke over her head and then smiled at her. “Tell him you’re fine, Leigh.”

  Jonathan stepped away from Kelly and moved in with determination on his face. If he thought to protect her from Burton, he was sweet, but Burton would win. “It’s fine, Jonathan.”

  Grinning triumphantly, Burton moved to Leigh’s side and knelt. His smile never wavered. Kelly and Jonathan watched them with interest. Leigh’s cheeks burned with humiliation and anger.

  “I wanted to make sure you were a captive audience.”

  “I’m here with clients.”

  “I know. They’re part of why I didn’t actually cuff you to the toilet.” He took her elbow in a hand and pulled her hands out from below the toilet. “The other part is because I knew you’d hate me for it.”

  “Yeah, no way this is going to upset me.” She held her hands up with the cuffs jangling around her wrists. She glared up at him.

  “This is the unexpected man.” Kelly practically bounced in her shoes. “He wants to relive that first meeting.” The woman covered her heart with her hand and sighed dramatically. “That’s so romantic.”

  More like irritating. “Uncuff me.”

  “Not yet.” He shook his head and helped her up to sit on the commode. He knelt before her.

  “Burton? Uncuff me.”

  He shook his head. “I’ve been thinking. About you. Us. And I’ve come to a decision.”

  “Awwww.” Kelly cooed.

  “Come on, Kelly.” Jonathan pulled at his fiancée. “Let’s give them some privacy.”

  Privacy. Such a great concept, and if Jonathan managed to get Kelly away Leigh would give them a discount on her services as a thank you gift.

  “But I want to know what happens?”

  “You can call her later. Thank you for the help today, Leigh.” Jonathan pulled Kelly away before she could argue.

  Finally alone, except for the employees going through their closing duties, Leigh found herself relaxing a little.

  Burton brushed his thumb over her knuckles and held up a key. “You have the power to release yourself. You only have to ask.” He released the cuff on her right wrist and then handed her the key.

  “I’m hoping instead of an escape you’ll choose to stay cuffed. To me. For life.”

  Her heart hammered her ribs. Her breath backed up in her lungs.

  “Burton.” The strength had left her voice so his name came out as a weakened whisper.

  “From the moment we met at this toilet you’ve captivated me. Holding out against your charm has been impossible.” He placed a hand on her thigh and flexe
d his fingers lightly. “I love you, Leigh.”

  Laughter came from nearby as the staff moved about their job. A few of them sounded really close. “Burton.”

  “Marry me, Leigh. Say you’ll spend your life with me and I guarantee there will be no more handcuffs in bathrooms.”

  She opened her mouth, but nothing would come out. Whatever she wanted to say she couldn’t push the answer out. She wanted to. She really wanted to answer him; he deserved it. She just couldn’t say what was in her heart with an audience.

  He wasn’t asking for sex in public. No, what he was asking for, a simple yes or no, was much more intimate.

  Again, Leigh opened her mouth to speak and again nothing came out. She wasn’t always chatty, but she was never at a loss for words. Burton widened his eyes in what had to be a silent plea. She answered with the same wide-eyed look, begging him to understand.

  Her conservative clothes had started as a defense after Derek. Over time the preference for privacy had become the norm and Burton was pushing her out of her comfort zone. She struggled when he kissed her in front of her friends. This was torment.

  “I shouldn’t have done this here,” he whispered. Getting to his feet, pulling her to hers, he stepped back. “I’m sorry.”

  “You asked me once if I’d figured out what I was missing in life.”

  His hand holding hers and the intensity of his gaze pierced her heart.

  “I was missing you, Leigh. I don’t want to miss a moment more.”

  He was laying himself bare at her feet, risking himself when he’d been as badly burned as her, and she was causing him pain. Everything he’d said and done since she met him had made her feel safe and secure and cherished. Hurting him, making him second-guess his decision to propose, was the last thing she wanted to do.

  Tuning out thoughts of fear and comfort zones, Leigh focused on the man she’d fallen in love with. Getting lost in his gaze, seeing the time they’d spent together and the fun they could still have, she lifted the empty cuff and snapped it around his right wrist.