Convincing Rowena [Passion Peak, Colorado 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Tara Rose

  Annalise made them lunch, which consisted of her famous pasta sauce and a salad that Chad and Dustin made. Chad was a police detective in Racy and had to work that afternoon, and Dustin needed to return to the clinic, so they were both more than happy to let Annalise accompany the others to Tye Me Up.

  Annalise promised her Doms she’d buy something special in return for them not minding that she go, and a stab of jealousy shot through Rowena. She was having a lot of fun, but she missed Van so much. Maybe she’d a buy a few things as well to surprise him with when she returned home?

  On the way to Lawnview Drive, which was only a fifteen minute ride, Annalise told them how well Giolanna Design Solutions was doing, and how excited she was to be in business for herself. “I meant to ask you about that,” said Rowena. “Do the guys mind you working that much?”

  “Oh heck no. They love it. I really missed this kind of work after a while. Starting this company with Gina and Olivia has been a godsend.” Annalise had worked in a high-pressure PR firm before moving here, and had taken a job at Luke’s Bar simply for a change of pace. “It gives me an outlet for my need to be creative and to run things, and in return I’m happier at home so I can serve them both.”

  Eve gave Rowena a pointed glance from where she sat in the front passenger seat. “Is that what you’re worried about? That Van would make you stop working?”

  “It was one of the things that crossed my mind.”

  “What? Did I miss something?” asked Annalise.

  Rowena glanced in the rearview mirror to watch Carma whisper something in Annalise’s ear. Annalise grinned. “Oh, I see. Finally joining our team? It’s about time.”

  Everyone laughed, and Rowena felt her face flush. “I’m not there yet.”

  “A visit to this shop might push you over the edge,” said Annalise. “Sassy Brassy has nothing on this place.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Van and Mateo spread out the project notes and blueprints on a table in the nearly-finished fitness center at Mystic Ridge Enterprises. “We should be done in less than three weeks.”

  “I’m so damn impressed with how quickly you guys are doing this.”

  Van smiled. “My crew does good work.”

  “It isn’t just that. They work well as a team. I don’t hear any bickering or goofy shit going on.”

  “Some of that went on when Jason was with us, but not anymore. He was the weak link in more ways than one. I simply didn’t know how deep it went.”

  “No one did.”

  “Any word on the break-in?”

  Mateo snorted. “Oh yeah. There’s a word all right. Three, actually. Not enough evidence. They questioned them, but found nothing to arrest them for.”

  “What the fuck?”

  “Yeah, that’s what I said to Phil.”

  “No one saw them at the house? What about tire tracks? The tools they have? Fingerprints?”

  Mateo shook his head. “Know what Phil told me? He said, and I quote, ‘Stop watching so much NCIS. In real life, evidence doesn’t pop out at us that neatly.’”

  “Oh, nice. So now what?”

  Mateo shrugged. “Nothing. Aunt Pet’s insurance company gets to pay for a replacement window in her back door and the rest of us get to wait I guess. They’re watching them now, at least.”

  “I thought they were watching them before?”

  “Not all the time, apparently. They’re around-the-clock now.”

  “Jesus, Mateo. This is fucked up.”

  “I know.”

  “What did Phil say when you asked him how these guys knew to target Pet’s home?”

  “They don’t know that either.”

  “Well someone does. There has to be a connection between them and either Jason, or Trace Coleman.”

  “Phil said Tommy is looking into that. They ran the plate down, and got the info off their driver’s licenses from the desk clerk at Shady Pines.”

  Van frowned, and then he lowered his voice. “Can they do that without a search warrant?”

  “The plate, yes. The info, no.” Mateo grinned. “Tommy told me the photocopies of the licenses accidentally fell off the counter, and he read them when he picked them up to give them back to the desk clerk.”

  Van laughed. “Okay. He’s forgiven. You gotta love small-town cops.”

  “I know they’re doing what they can. It just bothers me a lot that, like you said, these men know exactly where to go.”

  “What about this place? You have your share of rumors connected with it.”

  “I know. But it’s even more difficult to get close to the house here than to Nash’s house, and way more difficult than Aunt Pet’s house or yours, by the way. Aren’t you worried?”

  “We have a security system. And enough nosy neighbors with nothing else to do but watch everyone. If that truck drives down the street, even in the middle of the night, Tommy will get a phone call from one of them.”

  * * * *

  Rowena gawked at the outside of Tye Me Up as she parked the SUV and the group got out. It was a Queen Anne with a huge, wrap-around front porch, and it reminded her so much of her own home that she almost had to blink back tears. It was painted in bold, neon colors of pink, purple, green and blue, but even that interesting color scheme didn’t distract from its beauty.

  Once inside, she was even more impressed. Annalise hadn’t been kidding about this shop having it all over Sassy Brassy. It was much larger and took up most of the main floor of the house. There were three separate rooms for merchandise, and everything shone. From the gleaming mahogany counters, new woodwork, and track lighting that fit the décor, the place simply sparkled. She wondered how much money Kari and Alexa had spent restoring it, or if it had been in decent condition when they’d bought it.

  Kari came over to greet them, and Rowena immediately wanted to know who had put together her outfit. She loved it. From the black, straight-necked sweater, to the floral skirt featuring bright reds and oranges, down to the dark brown boots with clunky heels. Kari had a warm smile, gray eyes that twinkled, and a mess of curly, dark hair that Rowena knew Carma would love to experiment on.

  “You weren’t kidding,” said Kari, addressing Annalise. “You brought an entire town with you.”

  Annalise laughed, then made introductions.

  “Did you get that skirt here in town?” asked Rowena.

  Kari leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Saks online. I lived in Manhattan for fifteen years and I’m still partial to the stores I frequented there. Got the boots there, too.”

  “The entire outfit is perfect.”

  “Thank you. I’m a clothes horse. Adison and Noah are always on me about how much I spend on them. And I love to critique the clothes when we watch movies. Drives those two nuts.”

  Rowena smiled, grateful that Kari didn’t realize who she was. “They’re your Doms, right?”

  Kari nodded. “Yes. Noah Wells is an R&D specialist at Notus and Adison Kincaid is head of security there. Adison’s cousin, Zach, is now our mayor. You heard about Bernie Crumb, right?”

  Rowena nodded. “Annalise gave us the scoop this past summer.”

  “Scumbag got what was coming to him.”

  “They don’t mind your owning a business? Your Doms, I mean.”

  “No, not at all. They help a lot, actually. So do Alexa’s Doms. She’s downtown right now but will be back shortly. Feel free to look around. I’ll give you and your friends from Passion Peak ten percent off everything today.”

  “Hey, what about me?” asked Annalise, grinning.

  “You can have two percent off for bringing them here.” Annalise gave her a droll look, and Kari addressed Rowena again. “Her firm does all our marketing now. She’s a genius when it comes to that. Gina Santori, one of her business partners, designed our website.”

  “I’ll have to check that out.”

  “Please do. And let me know what you think of it. Is there anything special you’d like to see while you’re
in here?

  Rowena described Julie’s shoes to Kari. “Please tell me they weren’t one of a kind.”

  Kari smiled and crooked her finger. “Not at all. Follow me.”

  Rowena was still trying on shoes when she heard Kari introducing Alexa to everyone. She was about to get up and go back out to the main room when a petite blonde-haired woman with blue eyes walked toward her with one hand extended. Rowena stood as Alexa shook her hand. “I’m so happy to meet you, Alexa. Julie Carruthers spoke highly of you.”

  “Thank you. I’m happy to meet you, too. Julie called me last night.” Alexa glanced toward the main room. “Do you want to go upstairs and talk? I live there with Luke and Chase, but they’re both working right now. We’ll have privacy.”

  “Sure. Okay.” That had been easy, and Rowena appreciated Alexa’s directness. She followed her up a back staircase into a large hallway, painted in soft pastels. The scents of lavender and vanilla were strong up here. She led her to a room that boasted a big-screen TV and several comfy-looking sofas and chairs. Once again, Rowena was reminded of her own home, because the room they were now in was round. It must be the second floor tower room, just as hers and Van’s bedroom was. She missed him very much at that moment.

  “Have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink? We have soda, water, juice, and beer. I think there’s still some wine here, too, from the last time Kari was over with her Doms for movie and pizza night.”

  “I’m fine, thanks.” She took a seat in the armchair across from the sofa.

  Alexa sat across from her and folded her hands in her lap. “So, how can I help you? Julie said you were concerned about trust issues in a BDSM relationship, but she didn’t give me any details.”

  Rowena wasn’t sure where to begin. Surely Julie had also told Alexa that she’d revealed the abuse in her background, but what if she hadn’t said anything about that?

  “And I know you know about my past. Only in general terms of course.”

  Rowena nodded. “I was wondering how you got past it enough to trust your Doms with bondage.” She gave Alexa the long version of what she and Van were trying to incorporate into their marriage, what had happened to her in Hollywood, and what had happened Thursday night. There was no point in holding anything back now. She only hoped Van wouldn’t be upset again that she’d told another stranger this much about their life.

  “I remember reading some of that in the rag mags. I didn’t realize that was you. I’m sorry he put you through that, and I’m glad you won your lawsuit against him. I never liked him. He came across as an arrogant ass, despite the fact that he’s a good actor.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that. What the media didn’t report is that I gave most of the money away, and the rest went into restoring my great-aunt’s home. It’s very much like this one, and Van and I live there now.”

  “What an amazing coincidence. Do you like what we’ve done with this one? You should have seen it when we bought it. It was about to be torn down.”

  “Oh, God. I’m glad you saved it. It’s beautiful. I noticed a lot of construction around here. Please tell me you won’t be surrounded by strip malls.”

  Alexa smiled and shook her head. “Nope. Chase has seen to that. They’re building modern versions of homes just like this one in the hopes it will attract more boutique shops like ours.”

  “What a fabulous idea.”

  “It is. The town needs this. But to get back to your questions, I almost lost Luke and Chase because of my trust issues. Julie and I worked together for months when I first moved here, and then for a while once I started seeing both of them. But it wasn’t easy. I wish I had the magic formula, but there isn’t one. I finally decided that I didn’t want to lose them. And of course it helped that they both were more than willing to take it slowly, and give me whatever I needed. It sounds like Van is the same way with you. We’re both very lucky in that respect.”

  Alexa shifted her weight and leaned forward. “You don’t even want to know what Brad, my ex-Dom, did to me. I don’t want to scare you, because he was exactly the opposite of what a Dom should be. Chase and Luke protect me. They cherish me. They would walk through fire for me, and I would do the same for them. I’m devoted to them both. You and Van have to decide what this is worth to you. You have to decide if it’s a lifestyle you want to embrace totally, or only in the bedroom. And the great part of that is whatever you both decide, it’s still right.”

  She smiled again. “But whether you decide to embrace it completely or only in the bedroom, there is no wrong way to do this. And as for the bondage, you may never get to the point where you’re comfortable in it, but then again you might. If you can see a psychologist back home, I would encourage you to do so. Julie taught me tons of visualization and relaxation techniques that I used when Luke, Chase and I started playing. They really helped, and they might help you, too. But you won’t let go of what Brandt did to you until you decide that you’ve had enough of it, and you don’t want to live with it any longer. If there is a secret to this, that is it. You have to reach a point where living with this shit hanging over your head is no longer acceptable. Only then will you take steps to remove it from your life.”

  Rowena cleared her throat and fought hard not to cry. What Alexa had just said struck home in a way nothing had before. She was right. Rowena didn’t have to let this muck up her life. Brandt was an asshole, and even someone who had never met him in real life could see that. He’d been out of her life for a long time now, and he had no right to interfere in her happiness with Van.

  Rowena rose, and so did Alexa. Hoping she wouldn’t think it was awkward or uncomfortable, Rowena hugged her. After a second or two of hesitation, Alexa hugged her back. “Thank you, Alexa. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. I don’t know how much my advice will help, but I hope it does.”

  Rowena released her and smiled. “It already has.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Van heard the change in Rowena’s voice before she finished telling him about her day. When she told him what Alexa had said to her earlier that day, he asked her to thank Alexa for him as well, and then he asked her if Carma had spoken to Mateo and Blaine.

  Rowena chuckled. “About every hour. Why?”

  He told her what Mateo had said about the men staying at the Shady Pines motel.

  “I know. Mateo and Blaine told her everything. She’s just grateful that Aunt Pet is all right. And at least now the police are watching them. They are watching the men, right? Mateo and Blaine weren’t just saying that to make Carma feel better, were they?”

  “No. They’re watching them. But I still want to know how those two knew which homes to go after.”

  “Are you going to ask Tommy to have someone watch our house?”

  “It’s already done. He called me this afternoon and said he’d thought about it and is going to have someone watch all the possible targets. The guys are happy to have the overtime. He had to fight with Ken to get it approved, but finally he gave in.” Ken Scranton had been the police chief for decades, and he was known as a tightwad. Most of the cops that Van knew felt Ken was way too cautious and slow to respond.

  “Good. That makes me feel better.”

  “Don’t you worry, gorgeous. No one is going to mess with this house. So what are your plans tomorrow?”

  “Angela, Summer, Felicity, and Eve are going to Maddox’s club with Cherilyn, Thayer, and Evan. I’m going out to dinner with Carma, Annalise, Gina Santori, and Olivia Kelly.”

  “The Giolanna Design Solutions ladies. Thinking of joining their team?”

  “No, but I do want to pick their brains, and we’re going to Gino’s Ristoranti, which has the best Italian food I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Better than Carma’s?”

  Rowena laughed, and Van’s heart soared. He missed her so damn much, but it was so good to hear her happy. “Well, it’s close. But don’t tell her I said that.”

  “I won’t. So how
much did you spend at Tye Me Up today?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “No. Not really. But I do want to know what you bought.”

  “Shoes. Really pretty shoes with rhinestones and three-inch heels. I was thinking of wearing them and nothing else.”

  He moaned softly as his dick grew hard. “Okay. I like that. What else?”

  “A large tube of lube that Kari said is the best kind for anal that she’s ever tried. Guaranteed to make it even tighter.”

  “Christ,” he whispered. “It’s pretty fucking tight now, Rowena.”

  She chuckled. “Well, she said it would work in my pussy, too.”

  “In that case, go back and buy a second tube.”

  She laughed, and he reached into his pants to grasp his cock. “What else did you buy?”

  “A flogger. A real one. Alexa helped me pick it out. She’s quite the expert on floggers.”

  He stroked his cock while he imagined her bare-assed, wearing the shoes she’d described, and bent over the bed, waiting to be flogged. “What’s it made of?”

  “Leather. It’s black, with red roses also made out of leather at the end of each fall. She said Sean has one similar to it, and Julie just loves it. Alexa swung it against my arm so I could feel it, and it hurt like a bitch. Because of the way it’s constructed, it has both a thudding and a stinging sensation from the roses. Very intriguing.”

  “Jesus…Rowena, are you sure about this?” He was ready to explode soon. Should he tell her he was jacking off right now?

  “I’m sure, Van. Something snapped today when I talked to Alexa. I won’t allow the shit that Brandt put me through to control my life any longer.”

  “Sweetheart, I’m so fucking happy for you right now. I wish I was there. I’d pull you into my arms and kiss you until neither of us could breathe. And then I’d flog you with that leather rose bouquet as much as you wanted me to. And you’d be wearing only those shoes you bought. Then I’d take that lube and slather my dick with it, and shove it into your hot pussy, and fuck you until you couldn’t take anymore and begged me to stop.”