Embracing the Fall

by Lainey Reese

  Ziporah stiffened and slowly straightened up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m being a baby.”

  “No. That’s it.” Ziporah looked as if she’d just been slapped, so Cami was unprepared for what she said next. “That’s perfect. Why didn’t we think of this before?”

  “Wait a minute,” Zoe said in a baffled voice, “you lost me.”

  “Me too,” Cami said with a frown, puckering her brow.

  “I’ll do it with you!” Zoe’s mouth popped shut and Cami could see her fighting to be polite. But this was her best friend and polite didn’t factor for them, so Cami just burst out laughing right in her face.

  “Hey!” Zip shoved her, but she did it with a good-natured chuckle. “Cut it out. Why not? I can be a sub with you.”

  “Zip, darlin’, there isn’t a submissive bone in your body,” Cami told her, still laughing at the idea. “Especially with men. You chew them up and spit them out like sunflower seeds.”

  “I do not!” Affronted.

  “Morgan Fisher.” Triumphant.

  “He was a chauvinist.” Disdainful.

  “Allen Brickman.” Smug.

  “Spineless.” Contemptuous.

  “Cary Griffin.” Challenging.

  “Fine.” Ziporah threw her hands up in a huff and stomped to the coat tree in the entry way and, as she yanked on her black designer pea coat, she glared at Cami. “I can’t believe you brought up Cary.”

  “I had to make you admit it. You could never be a sub. If anything, you’d be a Domme.” Cami walked over and fussed with her friend’s collar while she did up her buttons. “And, as much as I love you, Zip, I don’t swing that way, so if you ever tried to whip me, all it would make me do is laugh.” She softened the blow with a kiss to her friend’s cheek.

  “I know.” Zip wasn’t really mad; Cami could tell. “But, hear me out. It’s just some kinky sex, right? Why can’t I play with you for the first little while? It’ll be exciting and crazy.” She winked and Cami could tell the idea was really growing on her. “It’ll be an adventure I can look back on someday. Something to tell all the other little old bubbes in the rest home to make ‘em jealous when I’m in my eighties and sex is just a fond memory. Let me at least try. You never know, I might like it as much as you.”

  “What’s a bubbe?” Zoe looked completely baffled.

  “That’s the Yiddish word for grandma,” Cami answered Zoe with a small smile then looked to Z. Cami was absurdly touched. “You would really do this for me, Zip?”

  Ziporah cupped both of Cami’s cheeks in her palms and said, “You’re my best friend. I would do anything for you.”

  Cami wavered. On the one hand, she knew that if Z were there doing this with her she wouldn’t be so afraid to try. On the other … “Z, BDSM is all about trust and honesty. You can’t fake your way through this. It would be wrong. As much as I would love to have you there by my side, I can’t let you do it.”

  “Oh, Cam.” Ziporah rolled her eyes. “Give yourself a little break here and stop taking this all so damn seriously. I won’t be faking, I’ll be experimenting. I’ve been right here with you all along as you’ve dug into this lifestyle. Almost two whole years of books and websites and even that crazy seminar we schlepped our asses to.

  “It sounds like a freakin’ kick in the pants. This is a win-win situation for both of us. I’ll get to try it out and let my freak-flag fly for a bit and you my dear, sweet, submissive friend, will get to ease into sexual awakening with your best friend there to hold your hand. Now, tell me, where is the wrong in that?”

  Cami could find none, so she caved with a squeal and flung herself against Z in a bear hug. “Thank you! Oh-my-lanta this is going to be so crazy. I love you so much.”

  “I love you back. Now let me go, I have to stop by the precinct before I hit court, and if I hurry I can catch my idiot cousin before he breaks for lunch.”

  “Is that why you’re running off right now? Z, he said he’d be there till one o’clock, you got another hour before you have to leave.”

  “Exactly,” Z said with a smirk. “I gotta get there before he skips out early. Heck, it’s what I’d do to him.”

  “You are the stupidest man in existence. How in the world did you make detective? Did you sleep with the captain?” Ziporah inquired this of her cousin in a singsong voice, with a sugary smile on her face and her head tilted as though she were speaking to a toddler or a particularly oblivious puppy. She knew it would nettle him and make him wish they were still kids, so he could take a swing at her like he used to. It galled him that they were now too old to wrestle, and if she were honest, she had to admit that she missed it, too. Fighting with Brandon was just about the most fun she ever had, as a kid and as an adult.

  “Zippy, my girl,” he said, purposely using the nickname that drove her nuts. “Of course I slept my way to the top; you taught me everything I know about taking it up the ass.”

  It took all she had to keep from busting out a smile at that. Good one, she thought, but would die a fiery death before she would let him know.

  “Ha-ha,” she managed to say, without letting her true mirth show. “If you could just take your head out of yours and give me that file I requested, I can get to work trying to sew up all the holes you left in this case and send the bad guy to jail.” She smiled in her best imitation of a great white shark just to needle him until he fished it out with some choice grumbling. Once she tucked it safely into her briefcase, she lost the snark and looked at him seriously. “Hey, can I ask a favor? I was hoping you could make it to Haven tonight for Cami and me. And please, bring Angie. What she sees in you I’ll never understand, but her presence makes yours bearable.”

  “Yeah, sure, even though you’re going to be there. But, I guess putting up with you is the price I’ll have to pay for hanging with Cami. Shame.” He shook his head as though deeply saddened and Z had to again fight back a smile. He was on top of his game today. It was just like him to agree right off the bat, no questions asked.

  “Good,” she said as she gathered up her stuff so she could head out. “I think Brice and Terryn are going to be there already, but could you ask if Cade and Trevor will bring Riley?”

  “Z,” Brandon said, his voice suddenly solemn, “okay, you bet. But, should I be worried?” With a smile, she shook her head no. “We’ll be there. I’ll bring everyone I can. You guys got nothing to worry about.”

  The affection between them ran bone deep, and though in most cases they would rather choke than admit it–when it mattered, when it really and truly counted, they were there for each other.

  “You know, sometimes, like now, I’m glad your mother didn’t drown you in a river. I’m sure that will pass the next time you open your mouth, but for now, I am glad.” The wink and grin he flashed her were more like his usual cocky self and she gave him her own grin in return before she turned and walked toward the door.

  She was brought up short at the elevator when the doors slid open and two extremely handsome men walked out. One she knew.

  Gage Hollister was a big Greek god of a man, with blond hair that was to die for and a body that made women weak in the knees. Although she liked him, she didn’t know him well. She loved his wife Zoe though, and since he made her deliriously happy, Z was inclined to think the best of the big man. He was a close friend of her cousin’s and she bumped into him at events like birthdays or similar gatherings, so she was slowly getting to know more and more of him. And each new thing she learned only endeared her to him more.

  The man he was with was a stranger to her. And what a handsome one at that. Ziporah stood a little straighter and had a completely girl moment by frantically worrying if her lipstick was still in place, or if she had obliterated it with her coffee cup this morning.

  He was tall, not as tall as his companion, but taller than her, so that was good enough. He was gorgeous. Green eyes that felt liked they were locked on her and one of those perfect masculine square jaw lines, that
to her, spoke of strength of character. He had hints of dimples in his cheeks as well as his chin. He was also bald. She loved a strong, confident, bald man, and right now she was looking at the finest example of one that she had ever encountered.

  “Well, hello there,” Gage said in his panty-melting drawl. “It’s been an age, Ziporah. How’re ya?” He moved in for a warm brief hug. Z marveled that he would.

  Ziporah had a reputation as a ballbuster. She worked hard to keep that intact. Her work brought her up against hardened criminals and smarmy defense lawyers every day. She had to be tough, smart and hard as nails to get where she was in her chosen career.

  In spite of that, Gage never failed to treat her with that southern Gone with the Wind courtesy that made her feel feminine, fragile and cherished. She loved that about him. Loved that he could treat her like a lady without making her appear or feel like he saw her as weak or beneath him. It was a rare man indeed who could pull that off.

  “Ziporah.” Gage swept out one hand toward his friend. “This is my good friend, Evan Grant. Evan, this here is Ziporah.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Evan said, and reached out to shake her hand.

  “Likewise.” Z barely managed to reply, not only was his hand warm, strong and giving her chills, she was mesmerized by his voice. The man had the same honey-dipped accent as Gage, only his was richer. Deeper somehow, and so smooth on the ears, she almost closed her eyes to savor it better. Just as she was about to draw away, the chips fell into place and shock sucker-punched her. This must be Master Evan.

  “Holy shit.”

  “Excuse me, ma’am?” Ziporah felt a fire erupt in her cheeks. Crap, she hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

  “Oh, sorry,” Z stammered as her brain frantically tried to come up with a plausible excuse. “I, uh, I just realized I forgot something important for my current case. Sorry.”

  “Where you rushin’ off to, darlin’?” Gage asked. “We were just droppin’ in to see if Brice and your cousin wanted to grab lunch. You got time to join in?”

  “Yes, please do,” Evan said. It hadn’t escaped Z’s notice that Evan hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since he stepped off the elevator.

  “Sorry guys,” she replied, anxious to get away from his mesmerizing presence so she could think, “I have to be in court soon. Thanks, though. Have a good time.”

  The rich, heavenly scent of cinnamon and apples filled the air of the tavern from the three pies cooling on the display rack, as well as from the three still in the back that should be coming out pretty soon. Cami polished the gleaming bar top with a clean rag, out of nerves rather than necessity. Everything that needed to be done for the night had been done.

  The kitchen offered a decent number of choices. Cami paid top dollar for Natacha, the cook she had hired to insure the food would draw the people back just as much as the music and atmosphere. And boy was that ever the best decision she had made in her life. Not only was she amazing with her selection of meals, but the desserts the woman crafted were good enough to bring Cami to her knees.

  “Here, try this.” Natacha came out from the back, holding a spoon out for Cami.

  “What is it?” The sauce in it was a bright pinky-orange.

  “It’s the guava sauce I made up for the cheesecake.”

  “Guava?” Hmm, Cami thought. That sounded scary. Cami didn’t think she’d ever even tried a guava before, but Natacha hadn’t steered her wrong yet. She opened up and the second the spoon hit her tongue, her knees turned to liquid.

  “Oh. My. God.” The Haitian cook giggled and delight filled her sparkling brown eyes as Cami slid down the bar and flopped her butt on the floor. “I can’t believe this. Oh, wow. I wanna marry this sauce.”

  “I know, right?” Natacha joined her with a laugh and draped her arm along Cami’s shoulders.

  “No, seriously.” Cami couldn’t stop licking the spoon. The tangy-sweet-nothing ever tasted quite so good-flavor lingered on her taste buds like heaven. “I want to fill a pool with this and swim in it. I want to name my first child after it. I want–”

  Natacha shoved her over and got up. “I get it, you like it.” Cami stayed sprawled where she was and gazed up at her cook. She was a lovely curvy woman, with latte colored skin, a dash of freckles on her nose, full beautiful lips and natural hair. No weaves or straightening for this girl, she wore her hair loud and proud and was stunning in her god-given beauty. “I’m heading home. The cheesecake needs to cool for at least an hour, so no touching till I get back. You can have some tonight.” She must have seen Cami shift her eyes toward the kitchen, because Cami got a swift kick on her hip. “I mean it, girl. You wait for tonight. I get back and see you’ve been poking in my kitchen, and you an’ me’s gonna have some words.”

  As she marched off toward the door, Cami called out, “You don’t scare me!”

  “Yes I do.” Then the door shut with a swoosh and she was alone.

  Cami pushed herself up and there was a smile of pure happiness on her face as she got back to work. The tension eased for a moment, thanks to her spunky friend.

  An hour or so later, when slender tanned arms slipped around her from behind and she felt a familiar form press to her back, Cami let herself still for the first time all day.

  “Everything looks amazing, Cam.” Ziporah’s voice soothed her raw nerves and brought a calm to her jittery stomach.

  “I keep getting so nervous that I’m sure I’m going to puke, but since I haven’t eaten today except for one tiny sip of heaven, I don’t.” She chuckled when she felt her friend shudder against her. Ziporah may have nerves of steel in a courtroom, but when it came to things she liked to call ‘gross out boy stuff’, she was a complete wimp. Puke was at the top of that list.

  She let her head fall back on Z’s shoulder and rested against her. It was the calmest she’d felt all day.

  “I’m sorry that I’m such a basket case, Z.” She huffed. “It seems like tonight is the most important night of my life. What if he doesn’t like me?”

  “Impossible.”

  What if I don’t like him?”

  “Again, impossible. Trust me on this one.”

  “What if you don’t like him, or I’m not a submissive after all?”

  “Cami.” Z’s voice was a soft caress. “Relax. Remember? This is an adventure. And you’re not in it alone. In fact, I invited the whole gang here tonight, so we have plenty of back-up. If we don’t like this guy, or things get off to a wrong start, there will be people we trust here, who happen to be in the know about this stuff, watching over us.”

  She turned around to rest her forehead against Z’s and looped her hands around her neck. “I can’t figure out why you haven’t killed me in my sleep yet. Is it because you’re having pity on me, or is it my fabulous cooking skills?” Ziporah snorted at that, because they both knew she was the worst cook on the planet.

  “You’ve been a beast.” Ziporah kissed her on the tip of her nose and gave a quick squeeze before she turned to pour herself a cup of coffee and said, “But that’s what besties are for. Remember when I was studying for the bar? I was so cranky, I was driving myself crazy. I don’t know how you managed to put up with me.” She cradled her coffee in both hands and leaned back on the counter. “This is payback.” Then she smiled.

  “Urgh,” Cami groaned and hung her head, “please don’t tell me I’ve been as bad as you were.” Then she ducked away in the nick of time as Z took a swing at her.

  Cami picked up a plate and served Z a slice of pie, the steam rising fragrant and mouthwatering. Since it smelled so good, she relented, with an inner scolding about how tight her jeans fit, and got herself a generous helping, too. She didn’t dare go looking for the cheesecake until Natacha came back, because Natacha was right, Cami was afraid of her.

  “C’mon,” she said motioning with a nod in the direction of the table she wanted, “let’s sit and eat this before my inner-Richard Simmons wakes up and catches me.”

  T
hat night, Evan walked into Cami’s tavern, Haven, with not one, but two women on his mind. One he was committed to meeting and possibly helping into the lifestyle, and the other he was hoping to get another chance at meeting someday. Ziporah had blasted him with her cool, commanding presence and had rocked him back on his heels. Quite a feat indeed, when less than an hour before, all he’d been able to think about was the coming meeting and its importance to someone he considered very dear. The two women had rooted into his brain and taken up permanent residency. He’d been useless for the rest of the day, distracted and unfocused on the work that had needed his attention.

  But that was done. The endless afternoon was behind him now and he could set about getting to the mission at hand. Maybe someday, after Cami was settled into the role of sub and had either found a Dom or was comfortable enough to search for one on her own, he could find a way to get Ziporah’s number from her cousin. Tonight, he was going to focus on the owner of this surprisingly welcoming establishment and see if he could help her determine if this was indeed the life for her.

  Evan was planning on speaking with Cami, finding out how far she was willing to go and what she hoped to get from her time with him then possibly providing that service for her. Bondage, flogging, spankings and exerting his dominance, both verbally and physically in an effort to ease her into the world of BDSM, were the extent of his expectations. Now all he had to do was find out what hers were and see where that left them both.