by Tara Rose
She reached the end of Arapaho and started toward Juniper, then decided she’d rather walk down Passion Flower Boulevard. It wasn’t as well-traveled as Juniper, especially at night since most of the businesses on it were closed in the evenings, but it was faster than making her way through downtown, and she was getting colder every minute. She wanted to get home and snuggle up next to Phil, even though he was probably already fast asleep.
She checked her phone again. It surprised her a bit that he hadn’t called or her texted her yet, and she hoped that meant he was either still with Knox and they were having a great time, or he’d gone to sleep already at home. He’d probably crashed as soon as possible. He might have even fallen asleep at Knox’s place. Phil worked hard, and doing doubles was tough for him. If he was asleep and she woke him up just to tell him she was on her way home, she’d feel terrible.
Eve put her phone back in her pocket and walked faster. All three schools she’d attended were on this street, lined up one after the other. Eve didn’t think about her school days very much anymore. When she did, she dwelled on the good and tried not to remember meeting Darrin her junior year, but most days it was still difficult not to.
He’d just moved to town, and everyone was curious about the dark-haired, brooding stranger from Alabama. His Southern drawl had them all swooning in the halls, and the way he swaggered to and from classes, cowboy hat firmly in place, had fueled the hormone-fired imaginations of every girl in the school. When he asked her to the Homecoming dance, she had the envy of all her friends and outright hostility from a few others.
Her longtime crush on Phil had come to screeching halt the summer before when he’d graduated and joined the Marines. Darrin had seemed like the answer to all her prayers and dreams. She’d fallen for him like a stone, only to be devastated once again when he, too, joined the Marines the day after they graduated from high school.
But unlike when Phil had joined, by the time Darrin enlisted, Eve actually had a relationship with him. All she’d ever done with Phil was watch him walk down the halls and wish she could muster up the courage to talk to him. Darrin wrote her every week while he was away, he called her, and he left her with no doubt that once his tour was up, they’d still be together.
In the meantime, she earned her certificate as a vet tech, and two days after her twenty-third birthday, they were married. That’s when the nightmare began. That’s when Darrin’s true nature finally came out. Were there subtle signs along the way? Should she have seen it coming? How many years would go by before she stopped asking herself those questions?
Eve stopped in front of the high school and peered at the lights over the stadium. They kept them on at night, even when there weren’t football games. Had her life really been that carefree once? When the most important decision she’d had to make was whether or not to wear her hair pulled back to school that day? When was the first time she noticed that Darrin had one hell of a temper?
Was it in the stadium whose lights she now watched, during the Homecoming game, one day after the dance he’d asked her to, when he punched the air in front of him as the Cougars’ star kicker missed the field goal that lost them the game? He certainly wasn’t the only student in the stands who’d been bitterly disappointed in that moment.
When the freshman sitting in front of him turned around and complained that he’d struck her head, he’d apologized and claimed he hadn’t realize his fist had grazed her. No one had doubted that him punching the air was a knee-jerk reaction, or that he hadn’t meant for his hand to come that close to the back of a stranger’s head. But should Eve have sensed something was wrong?
She walked past the high school and thought about all the dates they’d had the remainder of that school year. She’d given him her virginity one warm night in late April, while his parents had been out for no more than an hour. It had hurt, and he’d promised that it wouldn’t after that first time. Eve believed him, but the whole experience had been so rushed, cold, and clinical, that she’d been afraid to try again. When he left Passion Peak for the summer to work for his uncle in Alabama, she thought it was over between them. He’d called a few times that summer, but it had taken them two months once school started their senior year for her to feel on solid footing again.
Should she have seen it then? Had his lack of emotion or romance about the whole experience of her having sex for the first time been a dead giveaway, or merely a typical seventeen-year-old boy’s response to getting laid? They had tried again a few times their senior year, but it’s not like they had any place to go for privacy. And he had been right about it not hurting anymore, but it also wasn’t anything like she’d always dreamed or imagined it would be. Eve had graduated from school believing she was the only person on the planet who couldn’t seem to enjoy sex. Now, she understood it had been Darrin she didn’t enjoy, not the sex. Should she have put two and two together back then?
As Eve passed the middle school, her thoughts about the past were forgotten as she thought she saw someone standing in the shadows next to the building. She stopped and squinted into the darkness, fear creeping through her like a cold, thick fog. The image of that silver Toyota in the alley came back to her, and a small sound escaped her throat.
Unlike the high school campus, this one was almost pitch dark. The only light was a large industrial spotlight in the back parking lot, but it didn’t illuminate the front of the building or the sidewalk on which she stood. She listened for movement, but only heard the wind. Finally, she decided that she’d been imagining things. No one was there.
She shook her head and mentally chided herself for being so silly. She’d be home in less than ten minutes if she stopped reminiscing and started walking for real, so she pushed away thoughts of Darrin. That part of her life was over. She’d never have to hear his voice raised in rage at her again, or tremble at the sound of his footsteps.
Phil loved her. He was good to her, and he treated her like a treasure. And now, they were going to explore even more of their ever-blossoming sexual awareness with another man who was kind, intelligent, and who would also treat her well. She was blessed. There was no need to dwell on the past. Nothing there could hurt her ever again.
Eve whirled around at the sound of boots on the pavement, convinced she’d see Darrin running behind her, but no one was there. Okay. This was beyond creepy now. “Who’s there?”
She watched the sidewalk and the neat, trim lawns on either side of the street, but if anyone was out, they were literally invisible. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she hallucinating now? She really needed to get home.
When her cell phone chirped, she yelped. Her pulse racing, she pulled it out of her pocket. It was Phil. Finally.
“Where are you?” His voice was tight and hard. What was wrong? He never talked to her in that tone.
“I’m on Passion Flower Boulevard, just past the middle school.”
“I’m on Juniper. I’ll be right there.”
“Are you driving?” She waited for an answer, but he’d already disconnected the call. Had something happened? What was going on? As headlights came around the corner from the north, Eve caught movement to her left, and she glanced around to see what she swore was a figure running into a back yard on the west side of the street. “What the fuck?” she whispered.
Phil’s car pulled up next to her, and he leaned over to open the passenger door. She slid inside and he turned around in a driveway, and then drove toward home. “I was worried about you.”
“Why?” Hot fear raced through her body at the look on his face. He needed sleep, but it was more than that. Something had him terrified. “What happened, Phil?”
“Nothing. Nothing happened. I just didn’t know you’d walked, that’s all. I called Rowena’s house and they said you left fifteen minutes ago, and then I didn’t see you downtown. Why didn’t you call me? I would have picked you up.”
“You worked all last night and today. I thought you’d be tired and I didn’t want
to wake you up in case you’d already gone to sleep.”
“Why did you walk down this street?”
“It’s closer.”
“It’s not that much closer, Eve. Plus, it’s dark and deserted at night.”
“I’m sorry.” Eve blinked back tears. She certainly hadn’t meant to upset him so much.
“Don’t do that to me again.”
“I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say. Fat drops slashed over her lashes and she wiped them away. “I assumed you’d be sleeping by now. That’s the only reason I didn’t call you.”
“I left Knox’s place a while ago.”
“I didn’t know that, Phil. When you didn’t call or text, I thought you were already home or had fallen asleep at Knox’s.”
Phil’s shoulders relaxed a bit, and when he spoke again, his voice had lost some of its bite. “I should have called, Eve. But I made an assumption as well. I thought you’d call me when you left Rowena’s.”
“Well, I’m okay now. And so are you. That’s all that matters, right?”
He nodded, but something in the set of his jaw and the way he held his body told her something was troubling him. “I’m sorry I made you cry.”
“I’m okay. But you still look upset or worried. What’s going on? Can you tell me, or is it police-related?”
“Police-related. Nothing you need to worry about.” He smiled, but the emotion didn’t quite reach his eyes. When he brushed a finger along her cheek, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Everything was okay now. He always did that when he wanted her to know that he wasn’t upset with her. It wasn’t unusual for him to be torn up about something that they were working on at the station. He never discussed it with her, and she wasn’t about to start asking him to do so now. He wasn’t angry with her, and that’s all she cared about.
“Did you have a good time at Rowena’s?”
“I did.” Eve turned in her seat to face him, and gave him a detailed account of what she, Carma, and Rowena had discussed. By the time she was done, they pulled into the driveway of their home, and Phil’s earlier anger and fear were gone from his face, his eyes, and his voice, almost as if it had never been there at all.
Chapter Ten
Friday afternoon, Eve was so nervous that she nearly dropped Mrs. Nyland’s cat off the exam table. Fortunately, Mrs. Nyland was talking a blue streak while Eve administered shots and did a routine exam, so she didn’t notice Eve lose her grip on the animal.
The cat however, a Siamese named Butterscotch Dewdrops, did notice. He gave Eve a look that she swore had “dumbass” written all over it. That glance, coupled with the ridiculous name that the poor animal had been saddled with, nearly produced a fit of giggles.
Eve wasn’t sure which made her more apprehensive about the coming night. That she’d enjoy it too much, or that Knox and Phil might not enjoy it at all. She’d certainly come a long way from that fateful April night seventeen years earlier in Darrin’s room. She not only loved sex, but she delighted in finding new ways to help Phil enjoy it as well. But she’d never so much as kissed Knox. What if he found her repulsive?
Okay. Granted, that was unlikely to happen. Monday night at dinner, his stare across the table had barely fallen short of being accompanied by his tongue hanging out. But would reality live up to his fantasies? And what if Phil realized he’d made a terrible mistake by suggesting this, and was miserable because of that? Eve would blame herself. It was her best skill, after all.
“He’s all set for my part, Mrs. Nyland, but Dr. Tabor will want to take a quick look. You and Butterscotch Dewdrops can wait here for him.”
By the time Eve finally left the clinic that afternoon, her entire body was trembling with anticipation. The remainder of the week had passed without any further unsettling incidents of seeing cars in the alley behind Wendy’s, or shadows on street corners. Eve hadn’t mentioned either of those things to Phil because they no longer seemed important. And Phil had seemed fine once he’d woken on Wednesday morning, refreshed and happy, so she chalked up her behavior on Tuesday to nervousness about tonight, and his to working too many hours in a twenty-four hour period.
When she got home, Phil was already there. As he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, every care she’d had all week melted away. His lips and tongue moved over hers in perfect precision. The man was such an exquisite kisser. She’d always thought so, from the very first time. What would Knox be like? Was he just as good? That thought sent a shiver up and down her spine, and Eve moaned softly.
Phil released the kiss and grinned at her, then gave her a half-hearted smack on the ass. “That’s because I never gave you your punishment spanking this week.”
Phil had been giving her a punishment spanking every Thursday night for six months. It was now part of their Dom/sub dynamic. But last night, he’d explained that since he hoped Knox would join him tonight in topping her, she’d have more impact play than she was used to, and he didn’t want her too sore to enjoy it.
“Thank you, Sarge.” Images of being bent over and spanked by both men danced through her head, until her nipples tingled and her clit began to throb.
“You won’t be thanking me later tonight, Eve.”
She sighed. Yes she would. But he loved it when she pretended to be apprehensive about having her ass made so sore that she could barely sit down the next morning. He got off on that, and it made her feel sexy when she knew she could give him that kind of pleasure over something she enjoyed so much. “I’ll have to do everything standing up tomorrow, won’t I, Sarge?”
Phil’s gaze bored into her, sending shock waves of desire through her body. He had the ability to reduce her to a quivering mass of lust with one look. “Oh, I think I can almost guarantee that, Eve.”
He placed one hand on each shoulder, and she drew strength from the warmth of his touch. She was no longer nervous. She was excited and very aroused. “Here’s the plan. We’re going to eat our dinner before Knox comes over. He’s eating at his place. When he arrives, as soon as he walks in the door, you are to kneel, the same as you would do if we were at Indulgence. Is that agreeable?”
Eve trembled. She’d have two Doms tonight. “Yes, Sarge.”
“You are to address Knox as ‘Sir’ tonight, and if he stays overnight, you will continue to address him as such in the morning, just like you address me as ‘Sarge’ the morning after we scene. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Sarge.” Knox was spending the night? She was going to submit to them both all night? Eve could barely take a full breath. She was overwhelmed with what this coming night might bring.
“Knox and I talked yesterday about specifics. He’s going to take his lead from me, but once he becomes comfortable, he will be giving you instructions as well. Unless I say otherwise, you are to obey his voice the same as you would mine. Your usual safewords will apply, and Knox knows and understands their meaning. Do you understand and agree with all of this, Eve?”
“Yes, Sarge,” she whispered. Phil released her shoulders and took her hand. They sat at the kitchen counter and ate sandwiches while he asked about her day. It was almost impossible to make small talk about Mrs. Nyland and her silly cat because Eve’s thoughts kept returning to what Knox would look like naked, how he would kiss, how he would fuck, and how hard he might spank her bare ass.
Had he ever topped anyone before? She had no idea, but she didn’t remember Phil ever saying so. Then again, there was no blood in her brain right now, so it hardly mattered what Phil had told her about Knox before tonight. Eve wouldn’t remember it for a few days.
She cleaned up the dishes after they ate while Phil went into the bedroom to get things ready. She wanted to see what he was doing, but she knew he wouldn’t like that. She was almost always blindfolded for their scenes because he didn’t like her to anticipate too much. She wondered if he’d do that tonight, with Knox here, or if he’d want to watch her reactions instead.
It had taken him months to get her
to the point where she felt comfortable being blindfolded. At first, she’d been completely freaked out not being able to see what he was doing. Slowly, as Phil gained more of her trust, he began using it for short periods of five to ten minutes, and telling her exactly what he was going to do, and with what. Gradually, he’d tell her less and less, and leave the blindfold on for longer periods. His patience still astounded her when she recalled the painstaking baby steps he’d taken with her.
Eve still remembered the first time she’d slipped into subspace while blindfolded. She’d been in so deep that when he took it off, she thought it had only been on for ten or fifteen minutes. Phil told her it had been on for half an hour. Since that night, they used it for nearly every scene. It helped Eve relax into the moment, and allowed her to place more trust in Phil.
While part of her wanted to give that kind of trust to Knox as well, she also wanted to see his face and his eyes tonight. She needed to know that he was enjoying her as much as Phil was. But ultimately, she’d agree to the blindfold if that was what Phil wanted. She loved to please him and serve him, and she knew he wouldn’t violate her faith in him or do anything to cause her harm.
“Eve, it’s time to change.”
“Change, Sarge?”
He smiled. “You’re not wearing your work clothes for our play date, are you?”
She glanced down at her smock and chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s kind of sexy, don’t you think?”
“Adorable. Now get in there and put on the outfit I laid out for you. I hope you like it. I picked it out because red is Knox’s favorite color, and because I know you’ll look smoking hot in it.”
“A new outfit?” Eve practically skipped into the bedroom. She picked up the corset with cut-outs for her boobs and held it up, giggling. Knox was going to see her naked, and she was suddenly shy about that. Maybe the blindfold wasn’t such a bad idea after all?
“Well?”
“It’s very sexy, Sarge. Thank you.”
