by BJ Wane
Fifteen years ago, he had walked away from the army without regret, but he had never forgotten the faces, or the lessons learned that prompted his interest in exerting his sexual dominance along with his protective control when warranted. And he sensed Avery could benefit from both traits.
Pulling into the gravel drive of his log and stone, twenty-five hundred square foot cabin, he smiled when he spotted Lobo, the old wolf he had nursed back to health after digging a bullet out of its hind quarters when he’d been just a pup. Grateful for the rescue and scraps he often left out for him, the wild canine came around every so often to renew their acquaintance. Grayson never attempted to domesticate him even though he appeared to be a wolf hybrid, part Alaskan Malamute or German Shepherd, but had grown attached to the mangy critter over the last ten years.
“What have you been up to, old man?” Holding out his hand, he waited patiently for Lobo to reacquaint himself with Grayson’s scent before scratching behind his ears. “You look good, but let’s see what I can scrounge up for you in the kitchen.”
After tossing him two steak bones, Grayson returned inside and shrugged out of his coat. With darkness came a quick drop in temperature and his thoughts once again strayed to Avery. Gertie’s insistence the girl bunk above the diner had eased the concern he’d felt when he heard her mention staying at the motel. Not that his town wasn’t safe, but a young woman alone, living in a place with no security and going back and forth to work at night was just asking for trouble. Knowing Gertie, she would have Avery ensconced in the studio apartment before her shift started the next day. Now, if the rest of his suspicions and concerns regarding Avery could be handled as fast and with as much efficiency, he could quit wondering why he found himself so drawn to a perfect stranger.
Chapter 4
Sydney entered the diner in search of Avery after waiting fifteen minutes for her at the Tea Shop. After meeting her there last week, she felt an immediate kinship with the woman who had done such a poor job of hiding her nervousness, and her interest in their sheriff whenever his name came up. Because of the time it had taken for Avery to move into Gertie’s studio apartment, they had only thirty minutes for a cup of tea and ‘get-to-know-you’ conversation before both of them needed to report to work. Since their time had been short, Sydney strove to gain Avery’s trust by staying clear of personal questions. But it hadn’t been that long since she’d found herself alone in a new place with no one she could trust or confide in right away, and she had seen that same despair and worry reflected on Avery’s face both times they’d been together. Sydney’s heart went out to her, and she intended to not only continue befriending the newcomer but supporting her in any way she could.
Grayson’s distracted manner at the club last weekend left Sydney wondering if he shared her interest in getting to know Willow Springs’ newcomer. She didn’t doubt Master Grayson could pull Avery’s troubling secrets out of her, but that introduction needed to wait until she was sure of Avery’s interest.
“Hey, Gertie. Have you seen Avery? She was supposed to meet up with me again this afternoon.”
Gertie tossed her head toward the door marked ‘Private’ without pausing in carrying an armload of heaping plates by Sydney. “Still holed up back in my office. The girl offered to have a go at my computer.”
“Mind if I go on back?” she asked, already stepping that way.
“Go and quit bugging me.”
Smiling, Sydney padded down the short hall and found her new friend right where Gertie said she would be. Avery didn’t notice her until she walked up to the desk, saying, “Did you forget or are you blowing me off?”
Startled by Sydney’s sudden appearance, Avery jerked and then panicked to close the screen. Jumping up, she rammed her hip against the desk, wincing at the sharp pain before catching the time. “Sorry, sorry. Sheesh! Where did the time go?”
Sydney’s chuckle relieved the tension from Avery’s shoulders. “I tend to lose track of time when I’m cooking.” She nodded at the computer. “What were you looking up?”
“Oh, uh, nothing.” Running her clammy hands down her sides, Avery shifted her eyes away from Sydney’s quizzical green stare. She didn’t want to give away she’d taken a few minutes after fixing Gertie’s problem to snoop around in the files of her old job at the precinct. “Um, Gertie’s screen kept freezing. I found the problem and fixed it, at least for now. She’ll need some new software to keep it from happening again. I can go now if it’s not too late.” She hoped it wasn’t. She had enjoyed their short chat last week, and meeting the teashop owner, Nan Meyers. After weeks of keeping to herself, being surrounded by so many well-meaning people felt foreign and took getting used to.
“I still have time. Let’s go.” As they left the office, Sydney caught her by surprise when she tossed out, “You know, Avery, I’m a good listener and won’t judge, if you need someone to confide in.”
Looking over at her, Avery gauged her sincerity and relaxed even more. If only Sydney knew how tempting her offer was. “You know, Sheriff Monroe said almost the exact same thing about you last week when he gave me a ride.”
“Oooh, tell me more,” Sydney insisted with a gleam in her eyes as they left the diner and headed down the sidewalk toward the quaint teashop.
She shook her head. “There’s nothing to tell. He saw me walking back to the motel and gave me a ride.” After ordering me into his vehicle or back to the diner in that hard-edged voice that still disturbs my dreams. Her easy compliance to the sheriff’s take-charge manner backed by that penetrating gaze bothered Avery despite the warm ripple of pleasure it generated, a hint there might be more to her responses to the man than the fluke born of need, loneliness and desperation she’d first thought when they’d spoken over the phone.
“Too bad you moved above the diner.” Sydney opened the door to the teashop with a taunting grin. “Otherwise, you could’ve enjoyed more rides from our sheriff.”
“Who’s riding our sheriff?” Nan wanted to know as soon as they stepped inside.
The tall brunette and owner of the teashop had welcomed Avery last week with as much open friendliness as everyone else. Well, she amended, Gertie had welcomed her, but not exactly with the enthusiasm the other two women displayed. She liked Nan’s sense of humor even as she blushed from her jest. “He gave me a lift last week after telling me it was too cold and dark to be out walking.”
“Well, girlfriend, if anyone can warm you up, it’d be Grayson. The man does have a way about him.” The look that passed between Nan and Sydney drew Avery’s curiosity, but she didn’t know either well enough to ask about it. “Do you know what you want this afternoon?” Nan waved them to a small, wrought iron table near the glass encased counter behind which an array of decadent sweets tempted Avery.
Pointing to a small lemon tart, she replied, “I’ll take one of those with a cup of the lemon green tea. Thanks.” Since Gertie included her biggest expenses of room and board with her job at the diner, this small indulgence offered her spirits a much-needed boost.
“You appear more at ease today. Are you settling in around here now?” Sydney asked as Nan turned to fill their order.
“Everyone’s so nice, it’s hard not to.” If only constant worry over what Darren might suspect or be plotting to deal with her sudden disappearance didn’t keep her on edge, Avery could grow to appreciate her temporary home more.
“Thanks, Nan.” Sydney waited until Nan set their tea and tarts in front of them and then moved away to check on the other two customers before turning back to her. “You know, Avery, when I ended up here, I was running away from one of my uncles and hiding out from the rest of my family to keep them from learning how low he had sunk. I knew no one except Caden, my new boss, whom I could turn to to get through the days of anxiety and loneliness, and he wasn’t too keen on my attention at first.”
Avery stiffened against Sydney’s well-meaning intentions even as her revelation about her similar circumstances offered hope her f
riend would understand Avery’s plight. Not that she didn’t appreciate Sydney’s consideration. Before coming to Willow Springs, Marci had been the only person to offer her unconditional support and knowing there was someone she could at least turn to helped loosen the stranglehold on her emotions. But, as with her occasional foster mother, Avery refused to put Sydney at risk by divulging what she knew about Darren and his partner. The ice-cold disregard for her life behind his calm suggestion of her meeting with an accident depicted how ruthless the man who had duped her was.
No, sticking with her original plan of getting to know Grayson well enough to decide if she could trust him with both her hacking crime and what she knew about two of Chicago’s finest remained her best option, at least for now. Since both Sydney’s and Nan’s teasing innuendos about the sheriff hit upon her personal interest in him, she let that guide her into bringing him up.
Pointing to Sydney’s ring, Avery replied, “It looks like he came around. Congratulations. Is he good friends with the sheriff?”
Avery tried not to squirm as Sydney appraised her with a steady look, sipping her tea before answering. “Yes, he and Connor both. In fact…” She glanced up at Nan who was listening from behind the counter and waited for her nod before continuing. “The three of them are partners in a club. That’s where I first met Caden.” Her lips quirked with a rueful twist as she admitted, “He caught me spying through the window, gaping at the goings on.”
The suspicion that had formed in her mind about Grayson during their phone conversation just grew. She was confident her disguised voice had kept him from identifying her as the shaken, naïve woman he’d assisted over the phone, and somehow doubted he had mentioned that call to anyone else. That meant no one knew how he’d brought her to a shattering climax with his strict, detailed instructions or how she longed for a repeat of that respite from her worries. It didn’t surprise her to learn of her mystery man’s involvement in a kink club like the ones even a geek like her couldn’t help hearing so much about. Even some of her colleagues at the precinct had hinted of first-hand knowledge of such places in Chicago.
Sucking in a fortifying breath, she got up the gumption to ask for clarification about what she was thinking. “Are you talking about one of those BDSM clubs?”
Nan chuckled. “She catches on quick, Syd. You don’t have to whisper, Avery. Everyone in Willow Springs knows about The Barn, and what goes on there. Heck, most of us are members and we’ve learned to ignore the few who disapprove.”
Sydney’s grin widened into a beaming smile. “Well, it knocked me for a loop that night, but I was so desperate for a diversion from my problems, I latched on to what was going on real quick, pushing Caden’s buttons until he caved and gave me a first-hand lesson into his kinks.” Cocking her head, she asked Avery, “Are you interested in checking it out, and seeing what Master Grayson’s into?”
It sounded like she and Sydney had a lot in common, but Avery shied away from the thought of trying to get to know Grayson at a public, sex-charged venue. Her nerves were already stretched thin. The only thing urging her to consider it was the memory of that one night, that one phone conversation she was sure meant more to her and had left a bigger impact on her than Grayson.
“I… don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I’ve never, I mean…” Embarrassed about her lack of experience, she blushed and stuttered to a stop.
“Don’t worry, I never had either. But I have to tell you, whew!” Sydney fanned herself in an overdramatic response. “For me, there was no going back to vanilla after that first night.”
“I’ve been involved a lot longer, and never tire of what a strict Dom can do for me,” Nan put in, leaning her arms on the counter. “I can tell you Master Grayson would be an excellent tutor, if you decide to try a scene. I’ve never had a Dom read me as well as he, except,” she flipped Sydney a mischievous grin, “maybe Caden.”
Sydney narrowed her eyes in a playful fashion. “Don’t go there or I might have to hurt you.”
Avery let them banter back and forth as she considered her options. It would take months for her to get to know Grayson from serving him once a week when he came into the diner. Observing him at the club would likely give her a faster, deeper insight into his character. But she took the pang that tightened her abdomen when Nan mentioned being with him as a sign watching him with others wouldn’t sit well with her. Need, not possessiveness caused that reaction, she told herself. A need he had stoked and left simmering for weeks to add to the burdens she already carried around with her.
“I have to get going. What do you say, Avery? How about coming to The Barn as my guest tomorrow night? I can clear it with Caden and maybe Gertie will let you come in early and get off sooner. No pressure, you can just observe and get a feel for things. I promise. There are several members who come just to socialize, some enjoy voyeurism more than exhibitionism,” Sydney explained.
“And some of us love it all,” Nan put in with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
Avery couldn’t help but smile at Nan’s unabashed, straightforwardness as she answered Sydney. “Let me think about it and talk to Gertie. Can you give me directions and a time?”
Nan laughed and held up a hand. “Sydney still can’t find her way out there by herself. You don’t want her giving you directions. Here, I’ll jot them down for you.”
Sydney glared at her. “I am getting better, you know.”
“Sure you are, hon.” Nan smirked.
It must be nice, Avery thought, to have close friends you could rib with good-natured fun. “Thanks,” she told Nan, taking the paper she handed over.
“I also wrote my and Sydney’s phone numbers. Call one of us when you get there and we’ll come out to greet you. If you arrive after nine, the doors will be locked, so someone will have to let you in.”
“Okay, but I’m not making any promises.” She didn’t tell them she didn’t dare use her cell phone, but maybe she could pick up a pre-paid phone sometime tomorrow.
Avery waited until Friday evening to call Sydney and accept her guest invitation to The Barn. In the last twenty-four hours, she had changed her mind ten times, going back and forth between wanting to satisfy her curiosity by observing the side of Grayson she’d only heard in his voice and running away from something so far out of her realm of experience the thought brought on a flurry of nerves skittering under her skin.
She almost missed the turnoff to the secluded club from the highway, but Nan’s instructions were good enough she spotted the narrow, tree-lined road right before passing it. Each bump along the unpaved lane jarred the steering wheel under her grip, distracting her from second-guessing her decision. She slowed a little, more used to smooth, straight-forward highway driving than rugged back roads, but couldn’t risk arriving too late. The busy Friday night at the diner had kept her longer than planned and she hadn’t wanted to risk getting on Gertie’s bad side by leaving her short-handed after her boss had been nice enough to change her schedule. With relief, Avery spotted a lighted copse as the dense woods opened into a gravel parking lot and large, two-story barn.
She sat for a minute, waiting until the couple heading inside entered. The woman’s bare legs peeking out from under her winter coat gave Avery pause as she glanced down at her loose jeans and the nicest top she had brought with her, a button-up, teal blue blouse. Sydney neglected to pass on a dress code and now Avery wondered if she would stand out like the naïve newbie she was in her plain attire, giving her something else to fret over. Why can’t anything be easy? Since there was no answer to that age-old question, she forced herself to get out of the car, hoping Sydney was waiting for her in the foyer beyond the double doors like she promised. I’m just here to observe, nothing else. That’s the line she’d been falling back on every time she thought of ditching this idea and it worked again this time as she stepped inside the spacious entry. The tautness cramping her muscles eased when she saw Sydney standing in the foyer.
Smiling, she rushed for
ward. “I’m glad you didn’t change your mind.” Waving her arm toward a large closet, Sydney prompted, “Hang up your coat and place your shoes in a cubby and we’ll go in.”
Eying her friend’s short skirt, bare legs and camisole top that revealed her braless breasts, Avery couldn’t help blurting out, “Aren’t you freezing?”
Sydney shook her head, her grin widening. “The guys keep it plenty warm inside, not to mention they’re darn good at heating us up in other ways. Come on, you’ll see what I mean.”
Avery followed her into the cavernous space of the converted farm building, the inside resembling nothing like a barn except for the high rafters and open loft on both sides. The far, opposite wall of glass brought the outside in with the wide, dimly lit view of the surrounding woods. She couldn’t resist the temptation to look for Grayson as her bare toes curled against the smooth, hardwood floor. She executed a quick scan of the tables and seating areas between her and the circular bar separating the room but didn’t see him. Not until a flesh-snapping echo followed by a soft cry drifted down from the loft and drew her gaze to the upper level on her left.
“Oh!” Nothing could have prepared her for seeing the man who had haunted her dreams for so long wielding a wicked looking crop on a naked woman’s buttocks. Strapped facing a large cross with her arms and legs spread in a wide V-shape, the red stripes crossing the poor girl’s cheeks were noticeable even from this distance.
“Yeah,” Sydney sighed, following Avery’s gaze. “Master Grayson has a way about him that draws all the girls, vanilla and subs alike.”
Avery could see why. Even with a whole level and several yards separating them, she could depict the intense focus etched on Grayson’s face as he concentrated on the woman who appeared to trust him enough to allow him to bind and torment her in such a manner. What would it be like, she wondered, to have a man so attuned to her every movement, her every need, as he appeared to be? During their two-hour phone conversation, she’d basked in his undivided attention and the respite his hard-edged commands offered from her fears. An ache had formed for a repeat of that experience, one that had intensified since meeting him in person.