The general conversation seemed to be coming to an end. Several of the people at the table got up and began carrying equipment out the door, presumably to the barn where the recording was going to begin. Finn turned to Daphne as he finished his coffee and finally noticed the pieces of pastry flying through the air at him. His face went through several changes of expression, from anxious to determined, before he spoke.
“Stop that, Daph. You’re making a mess. Are you ready for today?”
Daphne shrugged, popping the rest of the muffin into her mouth. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
“Good. I’m expecting great things from you today. Don’t disappoint me.”
Daphne’s eyebrows shot up and her face turned slowly toward him. “Excuse me?”
Finn’s face turned a light shade of red, but he cleared his throat, put down his coffee cup and tried again, lowering his voice a notch. “I said, don’t disappoint me. Why don’t—I mean, go out and start warming up. I’ll just make sure all the equipment is here, and we can get started.”
“What if I’m not ready to go out and start warming up?”
Finn faltered. His eyes flicked to Decker, then back to Daphne. “Why wouldn’t you be ready?”
She stood up. “I need to help Allie clean up first.”
“I think Allie can manage the cleaning up. You’ve never needed to help her before.”
“Well, I do today.” Daphne’s voice was dignified as she picked up her dishes and Decker’s and headed into the kitchen. Decker watched her go, debating whether to call after her and ask for his plate back. He’d been just about to get seconds on the eggs. But then Finn shot out of his seat and stormed off after her, and Decker decided to let it go, taking another muffin instead.
The sound of raised voices came from the kitchen. Decker turned to the band member next to him and asked, “So how long have you been doing this?”
“Working with Finn and Daphne? It feels like forever,” the young man said. Decker thought he’d been introduced as Tony, but he wasn’t sure. “I just wish they’d give it up and get a room so we didn’t have to listen to the constant bickering. They’re like a bad sitcom.”
His buddy snickered. “No doubt.”
“They fight like this all the time?” Decker hated himself for being curious, but there was no denying the fact that he was trying very hard to overhear what was going on in the kitchen.
“All the time,” the young man who might have been Tony said, emptying the last of the eggs onto his plate. His friend gave him a reproachful glance that Decker sympathized with thoroughly then claimed the remaining bacon. He glanced at Decker sheepishly. “Sorry, dude. Did you want some?”
“No, that’s fine.” Decker tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice as he took another muffin. From the looks of the table, there had been pancakes as well, but they’d been extinct before he’d come down. His own fault. But weren’t musicians supposed to be late sleepers? He wouldn’t have expected any of them to beat him to breakfast.
The two boys finished in silence then slammed their way out of the front door, laughing and pushing each other. Decker stood up and began collecting plates and coffee cups. The fight in the kitchen had died down when he took in his load. Finn was standing, looking out the screen door, hands balled into fists. Allie was clearing off the table where she, Karl, and Brad had eaten. Everyone else was gone.
“Nice try,” Decker said to Finn before he could stop himself.
Finn turned. “Not very effective, though. I only managed to piss her off. What am I doing wrong?”
“Hard to say. If she’s not used to you giving orders, you might have just caught her off guard. But if I had to guess, I’d say she’s not getting something she needs from you. That could be what’s making her so defiant.”
“How am I supposed to figure out what she needs?”
“Have you tried asking?”
Finn flushed bright red and went back to staring out the door. “She only makes jokes.”
Allie’s voice came from behind Decker, startling him a little. “Are you so sure they’re jokes?”
Finn only shrugged. Decker wanted to spin him around and yell at him, make him see that he couldn’t just drop it. This was something he was going to have to work for. It wasn’t going to just fall into his lap, and it was too important to dismiss with a shrug. The man just couldn’t get a clue. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.
He pondered his unexpected anger as he recovered a book from his room and went to sit on the front porch. It shouldn’t be jealousy. There was nothing to be jealous about. Daphne flirted with him, sure, but she would probably flirt with Sasquatch if he came to dinner. Even if he was interested in her, it didn’t matter if she was in love with Finn. He firmly believed in polyamory. It wasn’t that at all. She just wasn’t right for him. He’d seen other Dominants dealing with impudent, bratty submissives who—
He was sure that wasn’t how Daphne would be, though. She might seem bratty on the surface, but there was something more. She was different, no denying that, but he knew she would be pliable underneath if the right hand guided her. She was submissive at heart. Decker had absolutely no doubt of that. All she wanted—no, needed—was someone strong to take a firm hand with her. But not domineering-strong. She wouldn’t respond to someone domineering or obnoxious. No, the Dominant who would finally gain Daphne Monroe’s trust and submission would have to be sensual, intense, but also playful—at the right time. She needed someone who could curtail her playfulness when it was inappropriate and bring it into bloom when the time was right. Finn had a lot to learn if he thought he could just step in and become a Dom like that. I could do it, but it takes years to learn to balance control, tenderness, and fun, and he doesn’t have that long. What if—no. I won’t put myself through that again.
After an hour of pretending to read, Decker finally put his bookmark back in its original spot and tossed the book onto a side table in the hallway, sending a silent apology to Allie for not taking it to his room. He could hear distant guitar chords coming from the back yard, but he resisted the urge to go and listen. Instead, he got in his car and drove away. He needed to find another place to stay. The drama here was just too much for him, especially when it wasn’t his place to solve anything.
* * * *
“I’m exhausted.” Daphne collapsed on the back porch and gave Finn a friendly smile as he followed her up the steps. She sighed when he went silently past and focused her attention on the setting sun, trying not to feel disappointed when the screen door closed behind him. She’d thought he had let their fight this morning go. It must have just been while they were working.
Suddenly he was beside her again, holding out a cold beer. She looked up in surprise.
“You earned it,” Finn said, settling himself in another chair. “Great work today. But now we need to have a talk.”
“Oh, no, not a talk!” She covered her face with one arm in a semi-mock gesture of terror, but her heart was sinking. He was going to quit. He’d threatened it often enough. Now it was actually coming. But his next words gave her a little hope.
“Daphne, if we’re going to work together, we need to come to an understanding.”
His face was turned toward the ocean view, but she could see the tightness in his jaw. “What kind of understanding?”
“I need to know what you want from me.” He was still conspicuously not looking at her. “Please don’t play games. This is a serious business, and we need to treat it seriously.”
The earnestness of his voice gave Daphne an almost uncontrollable urge to say something funny, but then she sobered, thinking back to what Allie had said earlier. Maybe this would be an opportunity to find out how he really felt. Maybe they could take their relationship from business to—that was stupid. She bit her lip and concentrated on what he was saying as he went on.
“Obviously there’s something missing in our relationship. I’ve tried to let you be the wil
d rock star, but you just follow Blaze around like a puppy and let him get you into trouble. When we came here I thought that maybe getting you out of LA and being forceful would encourage you to concentrate more on your career and less on partying. But that’s not working either. What will it take to get you to calm down?”
Daphne had been leaning forward in her chair, hoping for something—anything—that would be a clue that Finn had personal feelings for her. Now she slumped back, defeated.
“I don’t need anything more from you.” Her voice was completely flat, exactly the same way she felt. “Maybe we shouldn’t be working together, if I’m that unpleasant to be around.”
He finally turned, and their eyes locked. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to, not in so many words. I worked my ass off for you today and all you can do is complain about how I don’t apply myself?”
She could feel tears gathering in her eyes, but Finn seemed unmoved. Finally she stood up, casting one last look at the panorama before turning to storm into the house.
Instead of the screen door, though, she collided with a large body. She hadn’t realized that her eyes had filled with tears until she looked up, trying to make out whose chest she’d just face-planted into, and couldn’t discern any features.
The voice she knew immediately, though. “You two are pathetic,” it said, sounding completely disgusted.
Daphne gasped and stumbled backward, but Decker caught her before she went head-over-heels down the steps. She steadied herself on the deck chair while his words registered, then with an attempt at a dignity she was far from feeling, she tried to maneuver around the intruder to get inside. “If you both will excuse me, I think I’ve had about enough of being told how worthless I am for one day.”
Decker’s hand fastened around her upper arm. It was almost uncomfortably tight as it guided her back to her chair and encouraged her to take a seat.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Decker said firmly. He hovered near her, obviously ready to prevent another dash for the kitchen, but his eyes were on Finn. “I’ve spent all day thinking about the two of you, and it seems to me that it’s time we got a few things straight.”
They both stared at him as he pulled over a chair and sat down. It was on the tip of Daphne’s tongue to ask him how he could possibly know enough about them to think he had any kind of solution to their problems, but his face was stern and set and the question faded. She suddenly felt like a second-grader who was about to get a lecture for encouraging a classmate to stuff a penny up his nose.
Finn was apparently feeling the same way. He sighed and dropped his head into his hands. “I tried,” he mumbled into them. “I just don’t know how to do this shit.”
“Obviously,” Decker agreed. He held out a hand, and Daphne found herself passing over her beer. He took a swig and handed it back with a nod. “That’s why I’m here. What you’re doing isn’t working. It’s not easy to combine discipline and correction with”—he hesitated—“with love. Don’t look at me like that.” He frowned at Daphne. “You two are in love with each other. That’s obvious to everyone but the two of you. You seem to have the idea that Finn takes all of your crazy shit because he thinks you’re going to make him rich. Let me tell you something, missy. There are a million easier ways to get rich than trying to manage wild musicians. The big dope does it because he’s in love with you.”
He turned and fixed Finn with a steely glare. “And you can’t seem to see that her antics are nothing more than an attempt to get your attention and make you declare yourself. Why do you think she plays around with that fuckstick Blaze? It’s to make you jealous, idiot. But she doesn’t need some weakling letting her do whatever demented thing comes into her head. She needs to be grabbed, controlled, loved into submission with passion and authority. Do you disagree?” His head swiveled back to Daphne, who could only gulp and make an indistinct noise.
There was silence then for a minute. Finn had flushed bright red and was looking away from Daphne like a dog that’s not sure who’s dominant in the situation. Daphne shot him a quick glance, but her gaze was irresistibly drawn back to Decker.
“That’s not a very professional way of doing business,” Finn said finally, in a small voice.
“Damn the professional way of doing business. Do you love Daphne or not? You’re trying to be in control here, so it’s up to you to confess it first. Do you love her?” Decker leaned back, as if he had gotten something immense off his chest and was feeling lighter for it.
“Yes.” It was almost inaudible. Decker sighed and looked at Daphne.
“That’s probably the best you’re going to get at the moment. Do you love Finn?”
It was harder than she would have expected. All of her doubts, of herself and of Finn, washed over Daphne. Finn’s halfhearted assertion that he loved her was not totally convincing, but he had said it. If she denied her feelings now, she would probably never get another chance to have this conversation. She and Finn would continue to dance around each other, waiting for the other to make some kind of move, until one or both of them decided to just give up.
She nodded, aware that Finn was looking away. “I did,” she began, not sure why she was still hedging.
“Not good enough. Do you now?” Decker was inflexible.
“Yes.” She heard a slight hiss from Finn’s direction, but Decker was beginning to talk again.
“Okay, then. We’ve established that you care for each other. You both seem to be squeamish about the word ‘love,’ so for the moment let’s take it down a notch. Would you both be comfortable saying that you care about each other and want to continue working together?”
Their eyes did meet then, and they both nodded. Daphne noticed, with a hint of hopefulness, that Finn’s hands had dropped to his lap, and he wasn’t doing the fist-clenching thing he usually did when they discussed her work ethic.
“Daphne, will you admit that you have at least a small attraction to the idea of submission?” Decker fixed her with a look that seemed to melt her insides. The air around her thickened, and her breath caught. She stared back, aware that she was gripping the arms of her deck chair as if it might fly away. “I–I suppose so,” she whispered.
He smiled. “I think we can take that as a yes. Finn, are you willing to learn to be dominant? I don’t mean bossy, unpleasant, insulting, domineering, angry, or an asshole. I mean taking the responsibility of making sure that Daphne knows what’s expected of her, has the means to do it and the motivation to please you. Then making sure she feels valued, appreciated, and loved when she does it.”
“Well, yeah. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.” Finn sounded a little sullen.
“Daphne, you’ve agreed in the past to let Finn be the boss. Obviously you haven’t had the proper motivation to follow his direction. Why was that? Was it because you didn’t understand what he wanted? Or because it wasn’t important to you? Or because you didn’t get enough positive feedback for doing a good job? Or was it some other reason?”
Daphne blinked. She thought about her career, the amount of work she’d put into being the best singer, dancer, and songwriter she could be. Her occasional lapses into party mode with Blaze did seem childish, in light of what she had wanted to accomplish. Still wanted to accomplish. “I suppose it was the last thing.”
“The feedback part or the other reason part? If you’re going to make this work you both need to start being clearer in your communications.”
“The feedback part. I just don’t think he appreciates how hard I work.” She felt her face go a little hot. “Or at least when I do work.”
“Okay. And what can Finn do to make you feel valued and appreciated? Loved, even?”
She shrugged, wanting to ask why it was her responsibility to tell Finn how to be nice.
“Well, how do you know when he’s doing it, then? If you agree on something, even something stupid, then he can do it when he wants to show you appreciation, and y
ou’ll recognize that’s what he’s doing. Won’t that be better than him not knowing what to do and you thinking he’s not trying?”
Finn made a small noise of surprise, and Daphne’s head swiveled in his direction. It was as if they were both seeing each other for the first time. He was looking at her thoughtfully.
“That’s true. It doesn’t have to be anything big, as long as it has meaning,” he said. “Last weekend I was going to take you on a tour of the wine country, but you left before I had the chance to ask. If there’d been something I could have done on Friday, you might have been less tempted to run off.”
Daphne started to make an angry retort but realized it was no good. She had run off, like a spoiled teenager. What would have changed that? Her politician had called, and she’d wanted to see him. But that was over now. She wouldn’t be stupid enough to get involved in that kind of shitstorm again.
“I’m not sure,” she said instead. “It was fun going to the dungeon. I guess if it had been more of an intentional reward than something I felt like I pressured you into doing, it would have meant more. Maybe if we agree to go out for dinner or a movie on the weekend if the work has gone well?”
“I’ll agree to that.” Finn nodded, looking happier than she’d seen him for weeks.
“Oh—and maybe if you start talking to me again about the technical stuff. You’ve kind of started treating me like a little kid who won’t understand what all the grown-ups are saying.”
Finn’s brows pulled together. “I suppose I have. I’ll try not to do that.”
Decker was smiling. “That’s a start. You should both think about something that can be done discreetly and regularly, though. It can be a phrase, a hand gesture, or a pet name. It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that it’s an immediate and recognizable sign of approval. I would also recommend that you set aside some time every day to talk about how things are going and how you’re feeling. After this project you can discuss whether you want to take your relationship to a physical level, but for now just start communicating more. It’ll be good practice for later if you do want to explore D/s or BDSM further.”
The Masters of Falcon's Fantasies [BDSM Menage Fantasies 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 10
