I nod, satisfied at her answer. “Is that the only time you can remember pain bringing you some type of pleasure?”
Her head tilts, thinking over my question when I see the light bulb go off. Her eyes grow wide as she looks at me, astonished. “No, it isn’t.”
I don’t say anything put pull her in closer on my lap.
“My mama wasn’t the nicest person to me,” she explains, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, when I was young and she got angry at me, she would pinch me. She wasn’t overly physically abusive or anything, but pinching was her way of letting me know she was displeased about something. I remember one time I spilled a glass of Kool-Aid on her bed while watching TV. She was pissed when she came home and saw the stain. She grabbed my arm and pinched the skin on my forearm hard. At first, it hurt like hell, but then... I don’t know. It kind of tickled. The longer she held on, the more intense the prickles of pleasure became. I know she was yelling or saying something, but all I could concentrate on was how much I felt that pinch. I’d forgotten all about that.” She looks as if she’s just unlocked a long-lost secret. And she has. “Is that normal?”
“For people in this life it is. Many of us, subs especially, recall discovering at a young age, the link between pleasure and pain.”
“I do remember reading that in my research.” She nods. She blows out a breath as if she had been worried about her thoughts. “Are you full or do you have room for dessert?”
“What’d you have in mind?” I ask nipping her earlobe and enjoying the shudder I feel in her body.
“I-I made pecan pie and bought vanilla bean ice cream to go with it,” she purrs.
“You cook?”
“Y-yes.”
“I’m definitely looking forward to dessert.” I grin, moving my hand up her thigh and tightening my other arm around her waist. I grip her chin with my thumb and index finger, pulling her face to meet mine. I hungrily take her mouth, exploring every inch of it. I swear I’m hearing and experiencing things with just a kiss from this woman until I realize that buzzing sound in the background is my phone. Angrily, I pull back and stare at her swollen lips for a second before pulling my phone out of my pocket. Rarely do I get calls this late at night unless they’re important. When I see it’s the number from the hospice, I grunt in disapproval.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes. Well…I don’t know, but I’ve gotta go,” I inform LaTasha when I read the text message from the hospice director.
“Oh… Are you sure?” she questions.
I take my attention off my phone and put it onto the woman on my lap. Damn if I didn’t want to stay. I’d had some interesting plans for tonight, but they’ll have to wait.
“I’m sure. Walk me to the door,” I request, taking another nip of her bottom lip before standing and placing her on her feet.
Reluctantly, I let her leave my embrace to turn and lead the way to the door.
“I have another assignment for you. When you’re in the writing zone, about how many words do you write per day?” I ask once we’ve reached the door.
She ponders. “Uh man, it feels like ages since I’ve been in the zone, but when I’m on, I can normally write anywhere from three thousand to five thousand words a day. Sometimes I get in ten thousand on a really good day. Why?”
“Because I want you to have written ten thousand words by our next date, which will be this coming Friday.”
Her eyes bulge in disbelief. “Ten thousand words in less than a week?! Have you not been listening to me? I’ve barely been able to write 3,000 words over the last three months!”
I frown. “Love, I don’t like the tone you’re using.” My voice is calm and even.
“Well, I don’t like this assignment.”
My head tilts. “Too damn bad.”
“How am I supposed to come up with 10,000 words? I just don’t think—”
“Don’t think. Just write. I didn’t say they had to be good. You don’t even have to read them to me. Simply write.” I pause, wanting very much to laugh when I notice her eyes clouding with anger. She keeps it in, though. “So we’re clear, right? Keep wearing the Ben Wa balls and write ten thousand words. Those are your next two assignments.”
LaTasha sighs audibly, visibly disgruntled.
“Love, I need an answer.”
“Fine,” she huffs.
I work hard to hold in my laughter at the grim expression on her face. I know she won’t be able to complete one of the tasks I’ve given her, but I’ve made the demands for a good reason. One she’ll have to wait to find out why. “I have a busy work week, but there’s an exhibit I’d like to take you to see Friday,” I say before I press a kiss to her cheek. Without even thinking, I lean down and bite her earlobe, loving the way she shivers at the contact. Patience. I have to remind myself. The last thing I want to do is rush this. I still have doubts as to whether or not she’s ready for everything I have in store for her. But we’ll find out sooner or later.
“This Friday. And wear something the same color as this shirt and show off your legs.” I grin as she looks at me skeptically and down at her shirt.
“You like this color on me?”
“I do.”
She gives a half grin, still angry but obviously please by my compliment.
The tightening in my chest is my cue to leave before I make this a much longer evening and do some things neither of us are prepared for right now. I lean over and press my lips to her warm cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin and her scent that is a mixture of vanilla and her natural essence.
“Thank you for dinner,” she nearly whispers.
“Anytime, LaTasha. Make sure to lock the door behind me.” I step outside, closing the door behind me. I wait until I hear the click of the lock engage before I walk to my car. I know even if her door were left wide open, save for a bird, there’s nothing or no one who could get into her home. Security here is just that tight. Still I need the confirmation of hearing the lock to know she’s safe. As I walk down the pathway toward my vehicle, I try to convince myself that my slight obsession with her safety is just me being my typical Dom, protective self. I almost believe the lie.
I look up at a window of the main house on the second floor. For a moment, I see the outline of a person standing in the window, before the light in the room disappears. From the layout of the house, I know that’s Liam and Coral’s bedroom. I grin and continue on to my car, knowing I’ll be getting a visit soon. Unfortunately, right now I have to deal with another pressing matter.
Chapter Eight
Tasha
“Miss Tasha! I’m halfway finished with Danica’s second book!” An excited Trudy runs up to me after lunch. We’re getting ready to dismiss the kids at the community center. Since it’s later in the summer, the center is now down to half days, so we end our day between noon and one o’clock.
I grin widely. “Really, Trudy? That’s great.”
“Yeah. Danica is so strong and fierce. I love her. Thank you for giving me the first book. I have to return the second book to the library this weekend, so I gotta hurry up and finish it.”
“Oh, that reminds me. Stay right here,” I say before hurrying off to Coral’s office where I’ve left my belongings. I use the key she has given me to her office, opening the door. I go into my bag to pull out Danica’s Passage and Danica’s Voyage, the second and third books in the series. I have autographed both books. I leave the office and return to Trudy. “These are for you.” I hand the books over to Trudy who now wears an awe-struck expression.
“Really?!”
“Yes. Open the front covers,” I encourage.
When Trudy does, her eyes grow even bigger as she realizes what’s inside.
Dear Trudy,
I heard you were a big fan of Danica’s adventures, so I wanted to give you a few of my personal copies.
Sincerely,
L.T. Jones
The excited child looks up at me. “Oh my God! Is this for real?!�
��
I nod. “Yes, I have some connections, so I was able to get the author to autograph copies for you.”
The excitement from Trudy’s eyes helps me to not feel so bad about the lie. I still don’t want anyone to find out I’m the author for more than one reason; one of which includes this damn writer’s block that continues to take hold of my imagination like an iceberg. Thinking about my inability to write causes a knot of dread to rise in my belly. Unfortunately, it also means that I’ve failed to complete the assignment Jeremy gave me earlier in the week. Writing 10,000 words in a week has never fazed me before, but right now it feels impossible, I just couldn’t get it done. I feel my anger surfacing the more I think about it. Jeremy knows I’m going through writer’s block. Why the hell would he give me such an impossible task? Is this a typical Dom thing? I also hate to admit this, but the idea of disappointing him also doesn’t sit too well with me.
“I won’t let anything happen to these ever.”
Trudy’s excited words pull me out of my own head and back to the present moment. “I know you won’t,” I assure her. “Is your mom picking you up today?”
Trudy’s expression changes from excited to withdrawn in an instant. “Nah. She said she had something to do today. I think she’s sending my aunt or someone to pick me up.”
“Oh, do you need more money for the bus?” I ask as we head out the door to wait where parents pick up their kids.
“Nah, I think my auntie comin’.”
“All right. Do you mind if I wait with you? You can tell me what you think about Danica’s adventures so far. I was thinking of starting a book club here in the fall for the after-school program. What do you think of that?”
“What’s a book club?” she asks as she stuffs her newly acquired book into her book bag.
“It’s a club wherein all the participants read the same book and then we come together once or twice a week to have discussions on what we think of the book.”
“Will there be snacks?”
I laugh. “Of course! What good is a group discussion without good food?”
“Then I’m in!” Trudy agrees, grinning.
We talk for a few more minutes about book club ideas pertaining to the Danica books. We both feed off one another’s excitement, talking up more and more ideas before I hear a male voice call Trudy’s name.
She turns and her frown is instant. That look causes warning bells to go off in my head. On instinct, I move to stand in front of Trudy.
“Hello, sir. I’m Tasha, one of the volunteers here.”
He glares at me. He’s about 5’9” with almond skin. He’s dressed in a white T-shirt and baggy jeans. I wouldn’t call him handsome by a long shot, especially now with the scrunched up face he’s directing toward me.
“Yeah, I’m Trudy’s step daddy,” he returns.
“Oh… And your name is?”
“Gary,” he says shortly. “Trudy, let’s go.”
“My auntie couldn’t come and get me?” Trudy asks.
My worry grows when I notice she hasn’t stepped from around me to greet this man who claims to be her stepfather.
“Nah. She ain’t coming.” He sucks his teeth. “Let’s go, girl. Ya mama got shit to do.”
I frown at the language he speaks to an eleven-year-old girl.
“O-okay.”
“Trudy, you have a good weekend, sweetie. I’ll see you here Monday morning at nine o’clock,” I say, trying to reassure her.
“Whatever. Let’s go,” Gary rushes to say before he turns and walks away, clearly expecting Trudy to follow.
“Trudy, are you okay?” I hurriedly ask.
“Yes, Miss Tasha. I gotta go. Thank you again. See ya,” she says before rushing off behind him.
The sense of dread I feel watching her walk away doesn’t ease up until the red beat-up Buick they get into is long out of my sight. I say a silent prayer for God to watch over Trudy as I turn and head back inside to collect my belongings. I plan on doing some more investigation into Trudy’s home life. I know something isn’t right there. For now, I turn my attention to gathering my things and heading home to prepare myself for the evening ahead.
****
“You look beautiful.”
My belly warms at the deep rumble in his voice. I know he’s telling the truth because the way his eyes rummage over my body in the deep purple romper agrees with his tone. The butterflies in my belly tell me just how happy it makes me that he’s pleased with how I look.
I dip my head to get my thoughts together, still uncomfortable with the intensity of this attraction. “Thank you. You look great too,” I finally answer, not blowing smoke at all. He looks great always. He’s dressed in a pair of dark, tailored dress slacks and a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, displaying the array of tattoos on his arms. I plan on asking him about the tattoos in the future.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks, hooking his arm in an invitation for me to loop my arm around it.
I nod, but then remember his rule. “Yes, I am.”
At that he grins, pleased. And there goes those goddamn butterflies again. I link my arm with his, and again that electrical current shoots through me as expected whenever we touch. I have to take a deep breath to actually move my feet. I have purchased a new pair of heels, and although they’re a mere three inches, when you’re used to walking in sneakers or flip flops daily, three inches is a lot.
“You okay?” Jeremy asks, sensing my nervousness.
“Yes, I’m fine. New shoes, that’s all.” I smile up at him.
He nods as I close and lock my door, retaking his arm as we walk to his car.
“Do you always have to call Liam to get in the front gate?” I ask as we pull off and out of the driveway. I know how tight security is on this property.
“No. I helped Liam design this property. I’ve been on the security list since he built it and was included in gate access for as long.”
“He must really trust you.”
“Of course. We’re cousins, but he’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a brother.”
“Is that why you helped him get back with Coral after all those years?”
Jeremy gives me a side eye before returning his attention to the road. “You know about that, huh?”
I laugh. “Coral mentioned you had something to do with getting them back in contact when you came to her security firm and asked for her help with a case.”
Jeremy nods and grabs something from the console. I see it’s a toothpick as he brings it to his lips. I stare at the way his jaw works as he chews. There really is something about a man with a chiseled jaw line that is utterly sexy.
“I did. It was time for them to get their shit together.”
I giggle. “I agree. It took long enough. I guess I should thank you too.”
He gives me an amused glance. “For what?”
“For two things actually. One, without you, Coral would still be off to God knows where trying to track down some terrorist or something instead of being seven months pregnant and running a community center. It means a lot to me that she’s safe now. At least she’s out of harm’s way for the most part. Secondly, if Coral wasn’t here in Dallas, I wouldn’t be here either. I’m starting to really like this city. So, thanks.” I shrug. I’d never had intentions of living anywhere besides Vermont before, but when Coral invited me to move in to be closer to her, I couldn’t turn it down. Now, I’ve fallen in love with the city, the weather, the low-key nature, and most of all, being a part of what feels like a family.
I notice Jeremy’s profile relax at my gratitude. “Coral and Liam would’ve eventually found their way back to one another. I just helped speed things along. As for the second part, I think your presence here is turning out to be more in my favor, so it’s a win-win,” he says, turning to fully look at me. It’s only then I realize we’ve reached our destination.
“The Science Museum,” I read the large marquee. And my e
yes widen as I realize why he has chosen this place as our date. “There’s an X-Men exhibit here!” I turn, looking at him excitedly.
His satisfied grin speaks volumes. “I’ve been meaning to come for the past month, but I haven’t had time until now. I’m glad I didn’t come alone, so now I get to enjoy it with you.”
“I’ve wanted to come here too, but I thought it’d be too nerdy. I’m glad I waited too,” I say, reaching for the door handle to get out. I’m anxious to see the exhibit. Before the door even releases, I feel a tight grip around my left arm. I look over stunned.
“Let me,” he says sternly. He cuts off the car and gets out. Within seconds he is at my door, opening it and helping me out. “As long as I’m around you don’t open car doors for yourself. Got it?”
“It’s just a—”
He lowers his chin, his gaze leveling me.
“All right. Got it.” I nod. No need to put up a fight about someone wanting to behave like a gentleman.
“They also have hors d’oeuvres and drinks, so we can eat as we look around the exhibit. I thought that would be okay instead of going to dinner first.”
“Yes, that’s fine. Do they have a map or layout of the exhibit?” I question giddily.
“Of course.” He smiles at me as we reach the entrance, obviously picking up on my excitement.
The nerd in me is in heaven as soon as Jeremy opens the door for me and I enter the museum. I’m in awe when I see a huge marquee featuring the famous metal claws of Wolverine from X-Men.
“The exhibit is up the stairs,” Jeremy tells me, handing me a map.
I frown briefly, hating that I have to trek up a staircase in my new heels, but I quickly hide my displeasure and turn toward the stairs. I shiver as Jeremy places his hand at the small of my back. I do my best to keep my balance, but between these heels and Jeremy’s closeness, it’s difficult. He smells so damn good. Some sort of expensive cologne for sure, but underneath it is a scent I know is all him. I wish I could pocket his natural scent and carry it around with me all day. I had to remind myself not to close my eyes and swoon over his scent as we continue to ascend the stairs.
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