by Tara Rose
Angela swallowed hard. She believed him. The look on his face told her that he was dead serious. “Yes, Sir. It’s clear.”
Ian surprised her by taking her hand, pulling her to her feet, and then cradling her on his lap. Angela breathed in his warm, musky scent as she closed her eyes and snuggled up against his body. “Angela, you’re doing a wonderful job. You really are. Punishment won’t only be spankings or other forms of impact play. Nash and I will also withhold your pleasure or make you do things like give us blow jobs in public.”
“Although we’re not exactly in public,” said Nash.
“But the threat of being seen is real,” said Ian, “and that’s close enough.”
“I understand, Sir. Thank you, Sir. I mean it this time. I'm sorry I got snotty before.”
Nash smiled at her, and Angela’s heart soared. “I can hear in your voice that you mean it, Angela. Thank you.”
Angela leaned into Ian’s embrace and thought about everything that had happened to her since talking to Nash at the parade just over one week ago. It didn’t seem possible that these two men had not only agreed to her proposal, but that she was enjoying it so much, and had already gained such insight. What would happen in another week, or a month? She had no idea, but she couldn’t wait to find out.
Chapter Seventeen
Monday morning, Nash walked downtown at a slow, leisurely pace. It took him almost twenty minutes, and by the time he arrived on Blue Spruce Lane just as an ambulance went speeding past him and pulled into the emergency room entrance of the Rio Blanco Health Care Center, Nash’s head felt clearer than it had in years. He tried to tell himself that it was the exercise, the clear blue sky, and the smell of the late summer flowers in bloom, but as soon as he glanced across the street at the light brick building that housed Passion Peak Dentistry, he knew that was bullshit.
The reason he’d just walked downtown for the first time in years, and why there was still plenty of spring in his step after doing so, had nothing do with the deep blue of the plumbago or the delicious fragrance of the chocolate flowers planted in the median of this street. It was because of Angela.
He was here to take her out to lunch, and even the certainty that he’d most likely get sick from the food at Doli’s Diner, right around the corner on Pioneer Lane, couldn’t dampen his spirits. He’d only eaten at the diner a few times in his life, and he was probably the only person in Passion Peak that thought the food was one step up from fish bait. Most residents, while they did agree the place could use some serious updating and a good cleaning, also agreed the food was some of the best in town. Nash hated to be the lone dissenter, but stomach cramps and diarrhea twice from the same restaurant was enough to steer him clear. Until today, that was.
Angela only got forty-five minutes for lunch, and she’d told him that she wanted to spend it with him, not driving or walking to another restaurant, so he’d taken some antacids this morning and now hoped for the best.
He walked into Passion Peak Dentistry, and the first thing that struck him was the smell. Nash would be embarrassed to admit this to Angela, but he only visited a dentist when he had to. The practice where he was a patient was across town, and didn’t do nearly the business this one did, but his great uncle Edward had known Dr. Bender, the dentist, since the two were kids, so that was where Nash went. But Dr. Bender should have retired years ago, and there was no one to take over his practice, so Nash suspected he’d soon be a patient here, where Angela worked.
“Hi there,” said the receptionist, a perky brunette whose warm brown eyes reflected a spark of recognition. Nash didn’t know her, but that didn’t mean anything in this town. Most of the residents knew him, at least by sight, but he couldn’t recall their names. He really needed to get out more. “Can I help you?”
“I’m here to see Angela Davidson. She’s expecting me.”
“Oh. Okay.” The brunette’s sly smile and sudden change of tone made Nash wonder if Angela had already forgotten the lesson he and Ian had taught her last night, and had been regaling the staff here with tales of her weekend. If that were true, he’d have to think of a more meaningful punishment this time.
“Have a seat. I’ll let her know you’re here. They’re almost finished.”
Nash took seat between a bored-looking, young mom whose toddler sat on the floor, leafing through a picture book at lightning speed, and an older man whom Nash recognized. He decided to take the high road and stuck out his hand. “How are you, Mr. Metcalf?”
Leland Metcalf shook Nash’s hand with the same firm grip that Nash remembered from years past, but his eyes were cold and gray. That wasn’t a surprise, either. “I’m fine, Nash. How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you.” There was nothing else to say. Nash picked up a magazine on farming equipment and pretended to be fascinated by it, hoping Angela would come out soon. Leland Metcalf’s father, Bryce, and Nash’s grandfather, Colton, had once been best friends and business partners with Battista Mandanici, Carma’s great-uncle.
When the Mandanici brothers got heavily into gambling halls, it caused a rift between the three that had never healed. Nash had grown up listening to stories of his grandfather hiding stolen stocks and gin behind the walls in the house, but as far as he knew, nothing was ever found, and he had come to think of the stories as just that—legends that grownups like to tell young boys to fuel their imagination.
But Leland had also passed around stories that Colson and Battista owed his father and others a lot of money that they had never paid. Leland had said more than once that his father told him the Stonecraft fortune had been acquired illegally, or at least had been helped along the way by the Mandanici brothers and their questionable business dealings.
Now that Leland’s only son, Dalton, was one of the regular Doms at Nash’s club, and Leland was aware of that, he projected his hatred of the Stonecraft family onto Nash. Leland had wanted Dalton to become heir to the Metcalf fortune, but instead Dalton had purchased The Black Whip, an upscale casino and bar on Cheyenne Boulevard, right down the street from Indulgence.
Leland made no secret in town that he was baffled by his son’s preference of running a “saloon,” as he called it, over sitting in an office all day crunching numbers. He blamed Nash for Dalton’s choices, even though Nash and Dalton hadn’t become friends until well after both men had graduated from college.
“Nash, hi there.”
He glanced up as Angela came into the waiting room, looking as sexy as a woman could in royal-blue scrubs. He rose and offered his arm, not caring that everyone, including the receptionist, was staring at them. “You look good in a ponytail. You should wear your hair back like that more often.”
Her tinkling laugh conjured up images of the past weekend. He could still hardly believe this beautiful woman was now his sub, and that he shared her training with Ian. Things like this didn't happen to him. He hoped the residents of Passion Peak didn’t look too closely at his crotch as he and Angela walked toward Pioneer Lane, because his dick was now rock hard.
“If I wore my hair like this,” she said, smiling up at him, “you and Ian would only pull it harder.”
Nash grinned and grabbed hold of her ponytail, giving it a gentle tug. “Yep. That makes it easier.”
She laughed again, and Nash’s mind was filled with images of her tied up and blindfolded as he and Ian flogged her. They approached Doli’s Diner, and when Angela bent over to pick up a penny from the sidewalk, Nash couldn’t help but remember her bent over with her ass up the air as he and Ian took turns fucking her hot pussy. He was in deep trouble here, and he didn’t even care. This girl aroused him in a way no one had for a very long time, and he was going to run with it and see what exciting things came of it. If he lost his heart along the way, then so be it.
Nash was lonely, and he had been for years. It was time to start living again.
* * * *
Angela showed Nash the penny she’d just picked up. “Now I’ll have good luck all
day.”
Nash put on a fake pout that made Angela giggle. “You mean it wasn’t enough that I came to take you to lunch?”
He opened the door of the diner for her, and she stepped inside. “It’s more than enough, Nash. Your text message this morning made my entire day.”
It surprised her that he looked so pleased. This gorgeous man was a Dom, and he led a life shrouded in mystery. Everyone in this town knew who he was, but very few residents knew what he did in his day-to-day life. That meant the men envied him and the women lusted after him. That he would be seeking reassurance from her, even under the guise of a silly joke, was baffling to Angela. He could have any woman in this town. She’d seen the way Linda had gawked at him, and Angela knew as soon as she returned to work she’d be barraged by questions.
“Nash Stonecraft, I haven’t seen you out and about in forever.” Doli Nakos, the diner’s owner greeted them. “How are you? And Angela, it’s so good to see you.”
“Thanks, Doli. It’s good to see you, too.”
“Do you have a table near the back?” asked Nash.
“For you, anything. Follow me.”
Angela had always liked Doli. She was descended from one of the original Apache tribes in this region, and looked like she spent a lot of time out in the sun. But despite her leathery skin and long, gray-streaked hair that always had tendrils escaping the loose bun she wore it in, her dark eyes drew Angela in. They were what Angela’s mother always called “smiling eyes.” Angela couldn’t recall a time she’d ever seen Doli frown.
“What can I get you two?”
Nash picked up a menu, but Angela had been here so many times that she didn’t need to see one. “That depends on whether Alan is working today.”
Doli laughed, and Nash peered at her from over the top of his menu with a confused expression on his face. “What?”
Doli’s smile revealed a couple of missing teeth. As much as that sight made Angela want to hand her a card from Passion Peak Dentistry, it was part of Doli’s charm. “Alan Kirkland, my cook. When he breaks up with another online girlfriend, he tends to burn things because he’s distracted. And no, he’s not here right now.”
“We’re safe then,” said Angela. “So in that case, I recommend any of the burgers. They’re to die for.”
Nash grinned at her. “Why don’t you go ahead and order for both of us then. Surprise me.”
She recalled dinner the other night at The Cranberry Roost with him and Ian, and it suddenly occurred to her that perhaps she should have let Nash order for them, but this wasn’t the time to ask. “Okay. I’ll have raspberry iced tea, and a mesquite bacon burger with onion rings. Does that sound all right, Nash?” Maybe if she asked him now he wouldn’t be upset with her?
He put the plastic menu back in its metal holder. “Perfect, but make my drink water with lemon instead.”
“Coming up.” Once Doli was out of earshot, Angela leaned in close and lowered her voice. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t supposed to take the lead, was I?”
He gave her a stern look, but the light still danced in his eyes, and Angela suspected his grim expression was more for show than anything. “Ian and I didn’t specifically tell you to let us order first in restaurants, but since you brought up the subject, it would please us both if you did that from now on. I’m not going to punish you for what just happened, however, since we didn’t talk about it before now.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Nash glanced around. “You may call me by my name in public, and that goes for Ian as well.” His voice was so soft she had to strain to hear it.
“I’m sorry, Nash.”
He shook his head and took her hands across the table. The touch sent a jolt of desire straight to her clit. “Don’t be. You did nothing wrong. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your wanting to please me, Angela. It’s just that we don’t need to draw attention to that part of our relationship out in public.”
“I’m proud of it.”
Nash’s smile was so sweet that her heart skipped a beat. She’d best rein that in and fast. Falling for either of them would be an epic mistake. “Thank you. I am as well. But until this town accepts what we do as mainstream, and I wouldn't bet on that happening in our lifetime, it’s best to keep the protocol on a more subtle level in public.”
“I understand.” Did she? Would she ever figure this out?
“So, tell me more about this Alan character. Is he a patient where you work?”
“Nash, almost everyone in this town is a patient where I work. Except you, that is.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”
Doli brought their drinks, and once she left the table again, Angela continued. “Alan is kind of a sad sack. He lives in his mother’s basement and is a nice guy and all, but I think he’s missing a few brain cells. Either that or they just don’t synapse.”
Nash’s grin sent a wave of desire coursing through her. “I love it when you speak in medical jargon.”
“I’ll have to remember that. Anyway, he’s worked here since he was in high school, and he was a few grades behind me, so he’s about thirty-two years old. As far as I know, he’s never dated anyone in real life. He goes online to all these chat rooms and persuades women to become his girlfriend, and then he’s shocked when things don’t work out.”
“That is really sad.”
“I know. You can always tell when he’s fighting with one of them or just broke up with them because he’s on his cell phone a lot and burns everything he cooks.”
Nash shook his head as he sipped his water. “I don’t get that at all. How can you have a relationship with someone you’ve never actually met?”
“Well, you can, but not a meaningful one.”
“Touché. You’re right about that.”
Angela twisted the paper from her straw into knots and gazed at Nash from underneath her lashes. “When did you first get into the lifestyle, Nash? I mean, how did you learn about all this?” She glanced around. “Is it okay to talk about that here?”
“It’s fine.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “In college, but I knew about it before that. I have family in Aurora, including an older cousin named Dane, who told me about BDSM when I was about fifteen.”
Angela stared at the Formica tabletop and bit the inside of her cheek. Then she stopped herself from biting it again. It was a nervous habit that she’d had since childhood and was still trying to break. “And have you had a lot of subs?”
When Nash took the straw paper out of her hands, she finally looked him in the eyes again. “Angela, it’s all right to ask me this. It’s actually important that we talk about our past sexual histories. You have a right to know my history as a Dom, as well.”
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“I have not had a lot of subs. And when I did have one, they didn’t last long. Most women want… they want more than I can give them. They want love, to be perfectly frank.”
Her pulse raced. She wanted to ask more about that, but something in his eyes stopped her. Instead she simply waited for him to continue.
“I’ve never fallen in love. I’m sure a psychologist would tell me that the reason for that is something I’ve pretty much figured out for myself. I lost both parents by the time I was fourteen. If you love someone, they die. Intellectually, I know that’s not true. But every time I felt myself getting that close to a sub, I found a trivial reason to let her go.”
“I’m sorry, Nash. That must be very difficult for you.”
“It makes for a lonely life.”
They stared at each other, and normally Angela would have become uncomfortable in such an intense situation, but as she studied the depth of emotion in Nash’s eyes, something shifted inside her. Something that made her want to hold him close and protect him from the hurt inside. She’d misjudged him terribly. The aura of confidence and sexual prowess he presented to the world was nothing more than a mask. Inside, Nash was a frightened young boy, who o
nly wanted to find the courage to take a chance on loving someone again. But what was the right way to handle this?
“What about you, Angela?”
His question caught her off guard. “What do you mean?”
“You and Brett were together a long time. Were you in love with him?”
Now there was a loaded question. She was saved from having to answer for a few seconds while their food arrived. She waited until he’d taken a bite of his burger and deemed it delicious, and then she chewed an onion ring while she formulated an answer. “Yes, I was. But of course there was that whole cheating thing. It tended to cloud things a bit.”
“That’s a diplomatic answer. But what happens in the future? Are you soured on love, or will you give another guy a chance?”
Her fingertips were suddenly so damp that she had to tighten her grip on the burger bun. She took a bite, only to give herself time to respond. He was only asking a general question, of course. Merely making polite conversation. He wasn’t talking about himself. She couldn’t let her mind go there. “No, I’m not soured on it. I’ll just be more cautious next time, that’s all.”
“I would ask nothing less from you.”
His voice was so soft and intimate, she almost asked if he was talking about their relationship, but she just couldn’t. The risk of humiliation was too great. But what if he was? What if he fell in love with her but got scared again and let her go? And where did Ian fit in all this?
What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Chapter Eighteen
“So, I hear things are over for good between you and Brett Warner? Is that true?”
Angela started at Dalton Metcalf, blinking several times, before his words finally sunk in. They’d just filled a cavity for him and Dr. Patil had gone on to the next patient, but Dalton lingered now, waiting for an answer. “Oh, yes. Yes, it’s over for good.”
