by BJ Wane
After spending several, nerve-racking hours at a library in Billings, Avery drove back to Willow Springs Saturday afternoon maintaining a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. I did it again. That admission drew a frisson of alarm that sent her pulse spiking. What started as a simple search through Chicago news looking for any word of an investigation into Darren and Chad’s illegal evidence thefts, had ended up with her turning desperate enough to hack into other interrogation reports of suspects from raids they had led. The discovery of two more cases where the defendant’s accounting of either money or drugs didn’t match the items Darren and Chad had turned in to the evidence room sent her fleeing back to the small town where she’d felt safer than anywhere else since overhearing her ex-boyfriend and his partner’s confession.
A quick glance at the speedometer had her swearing and easing up on the gas. She’d been careful when driving so as not to risk getting pulled over. It wouldn’t do to take that risk now, her lack of insurance just one of the things that could land her in trouble. The flash drive zipped into an inside pocket of her purse taunted her with the evidence of two dirty cops she carried around with her, her palms going damp as she weighed her limited options on where to go from here.
By the time Avery pulled behind the diner with only ten minutes to spare before reporting for her shift, she’d decided Grayson Monroe remained her best choice. If only she could get up the nerve to come clean with the sheriff, to work up enough trust to believe he would help. Now that she’d committed another crime, her task to do either of those things had become harder. She was still a newcomer in town, a woman he barely knew, and Darren’s deceit was a hard-learned lesson that continued to haunt and scare her. She couldn’t afford to misjudge another man, especially another one in law enforcement.
Speak of the devil. Avery paused in the doorway between the kitchen and the diner counter as soon as she spotted Grayson seated in her section along with the dark blond, Master Dan she’d met at The Barn last night. The two men were drawing every female eye in the place, the striking contrast between Grayson’s midnight hair and Dan’s much lighter coloring enough to catch their attention without adding in their rugged good looks and broad shoulders.
“Don’t stand there gawking, girl,” Gertie snapped as she whizzed by carrying three heaping plates.
“Oh, sorry, ma’am.”
“And quit ma’aming me,” she tossed back.
Grabbing her pad, Avery hurried to the men’s table, trying to ignore the sudden increase in her pulse rate and the warm flush spreading up her neck as they greeted her with friendly smiles and piercing looks.
“Nice to see you again, Avery.” Dan folded his menu, his gaze not as body encompassing as last night, but still just as approving. “I’ll take the meatloaf special.”
“Got it.” After jotting it down, she shifted her eyes to Grayson, somehow not surprised to find herself tightening her thighs against the effect of his potent, gray/green gaze. “Sheriff, what can I get you?” Her silent prayer he hadn’t caught her breathless tone went unheard, if she judged the tilt of his mouth correctly.
“I’ll take the same, thanks. How are you today, sugar? You looked flustered when you came in.” Cocking his head, he inquired, “Everything okay?”
Damn that astuteness, the casualness of his polite question not fooling Avery. Her gaze skittered away from the probing intensity in his eyes. “Yes… uh, thanks. Just running a little behind. I’ll get your order turned in.” She spun around so fast, she bumped into the other waitress and nearly caused her to drop her tray. “Oh, Barbara, I’m sorry!”
“I’ve got it, no problem.” As they stepped away from the guys’ table, Barbara leaned toward Avery and whispered, “Honey, I may have over twenty years on you and am happily married, but I’m not dead. I get it.”
With a wink, the experienced server trotted off and Avery breathed a sigh of relief her clumsiness hadn’t caused a big mishap. Without looking back, she rushed to turn in the order and get to her other customers. The busy Saturday night crowd kept her from thinking about whether Grayson would go to his club after dinner until she brought them their food. As he removed his toothpick, she couldn’t help but be drawn to his mouth and remember the feel of his possession as she set a food-piled plate in front of him. From his look, he knew exactly what she was recalling.
“Thank you, sugar. Looks good.”
She nodded and stepped back as if those few inches would put enough space between her and a temptation that seemed to grow the more she was near him. “Anything else I can get you? Either of you?” she hurried to tack on.
“Not right now,” Dan replied without wasting time before digging in.
“Not with food, but when you have some spare time, can I talk you into looking at my computer? Gertie sang your praises over fixing her problem.”
Grayson’s request caught Avery off guard; her first thought they would be alone at his place. As wary as that made her, she couldn’t very well turn him down after helping Gertie. It may even speed up the timetable of getting to know him better, a possibility she couldn’t afford to pass up.
“Uh, sure, I’d be happy to. I’m, uh, off tomorrow, if that works for you.”
“Excellent. I’ll pick you up…”
“No…” She sucked in a breath as his gaze sharpened at her flustered interruption. “I mean… I’d rather drive myself, if you’ll give me directions. I… I’m trying to get to know my way around.”
He picked up his fork and scooped a bite of mashed potatoes before answering. “I’ll write down directions before I leave,” was all he said before turning his attention to his meal, her cue to get back to work.
After living her entire twenty-nine years in Chicago, Avery thought she’d be used to frigid temperatures during the long winter months. But the windy city of Chicago had nothing on Willow Springs. The wide-open spaces of Montana didn’t offer any buffers against the wind or cold, not until you entered a forested area, as she did the next day when she followed the narrow but paved road off the highway that led to Grayson’s house.
The smooth pavement ended at a gravel driveway where Avery parked and sat for a moment, taking in the rustic appeal of the ranch home with its wraparound porch. A welcoming, enticing plume of smoke spiraled from the stone chimney separating the log wall along the side. Since the heater in her old car worked as poorly as everything else, she slid out looking forward to the promised heat inside. She’d only taken two steps toward the front door when a large wolf/dog lumbered to his feet at seeing her, his size and the slow curl of his lips revealing sharp teeth keeping her frozen in place.
Avery held her breath, too afraid to move, shivering from more than the cold. Gripping her purse, she prepared to swing it at the animal’s head should he attack, her only choice for a weapon.
“Lobo, down!”
Grayson’s sudden, hard-voiced command caused Avery to jump, but the wolf lay back down, his tail now swishing against the ground. She released her pent-up breath as he jogged down the porch steps wearing a sweatshirt and jeans that didn’t disguise the bulge of his thigh muscles as he strode toward her. It was one of the few times she’d seen him without a toothpick stuck in the corner of his mouth, but that didn’t keep her from zeroing in on those chiseled lips or remembering how they’d felt covering hers.
“He won’t hurt you,” Grayson assured her as he clasped her elbow and urged her toward the wild dog. “I’m showing him you’re a friend. Once he gets your scent, he’ll recognize it and warm up to you.”
“You keep a wolf as a pet?” Wary but intrigued, Avery went with him, stopping a few feet from the gray and white coated wolf now cocking his head as he peered up at her out of beady, inquisitive eyes.
“No, but after rescuing him as a pup and nursing him back to health, he decided I wasn’t so bad for a human and comes around every so often for handouts. Here.” He handed her a good-sized steak bone. “Hold it out to him. Trust me, he’ll take right to you.”
Grayson’s emphasis on the words ‘trust me’ sent her gaze flying up to his, but she only encountered his bland expression. As Avery took the bone, she sensed he was asking for more from her than trusting the wolf wouldn’t harm her. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she muttered, taking one more step forward and stretching out her hand with the meaty treat. “I never owned a dog as a kid.”
“That’s a shame. They’re loyal, bonding animals that can enrich your life, even crossbreeds like Lobo.”
Again, Avery sensed an underlying meaning behind his comment, but as Lobo stood again and opened his mouth, it took every ounce of her willpower and nerve to hold her hand steady. “Oh!” she exclaimed as he took the bone with careful slowness, his black eyes glued to her instead of the tasty peace offering. She waited until he settled back down and started gnawing before looking at Grayson with a wide smile and sense of accomplishment. “You were right.”
“I usually am, sugar. Come on, you’re shivering.” He led her up to the house, saying, “I’ve set my computer in front of the fireplace since I don’t imagine your car puts out much heat.”
Avery stopped at the threshold and gave him a quizzical look. “How do you do that? See beyond what’s in front of you?”
“A tour overseas taught me a lot about not relying on only what was visible. Besides, your car is a piece of crap so that was a logical deduction.”
Warmth stemming as much from entering Grayson’s heated home as enjoying his company spread through Avery. Although he still wore a cloak of authority like a second skin, he appeared more approachable and less intense in this cozy environment than he had at the sex-charged club. To dispel the desire his presence stirred, she let him slip her coat off and asked, “What’s the problem with your PC?” Looking across the spacious great room, she saw the desktop sitting on a small table by the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace blazing with yellow/orange flames of crackling heat.
“It’s slower than molasses and getting worse. It also shuts down when I’m in the middle of something.” Waving his arm toward the computer, he said, “Help yourself while I fix some hot chocolate. I left my password written next to it.”
She nodded, now eager to get started on the challenge. After spending so much time alone since fleeing Chicago, she enjoyed the daily interaction with people her job at the diner afforded her, but she relished the chance to pit her skills against technology again even more.
Grayson watched Avery settle at the computer, her slim brows lowering into a look of intense concentration as her fingers flew over the keyboard with admirable skill. The only time she paused was to scoot her sliding glasses back up, her face tightening with irritation each time. Even though her eyes had stayed wary, her rise to the challenge of befriending Lobo and unquestioning belief in his promise the wolf wouldn’t hurt her were two more signs of her willingness to submit. Now, if he could just get her to reveal what trouble had landed her here, he could deal with it, and her and then move on without constant, plaguing thoughts interrupting his nights and interfering with his days.
Carrying two mugs of steaming cocoa over to her, he heard her mumble, “Sheesh,” and experienced that same sense of familiarity certain things she did and said always conjured up.
“That bad, huh?” he asked, setting one mug down next to her.
“You have no room to talk about my old car. When was the last time you upgraded?”
Grayson shrugged, settling on the arm of the sofa. “Sorry, I’m computer illiterate and like it that way. I prefer hands on interaction with people.” His mouth quirked as a delicate shiver racked her body. She was smart to read more into some of his words than the obvious.
“Huh. I’ve always been the opposite. Aha – gotcha!” she crowed, delighting him with the beaming smile she flipped him. “I haven’t met a computer yet I couldn’t set straight. You’ll need to download some new programs and upgrades, which will cost you. A new one might be better in the long run.”
“Put on what’s necessary for now and when you have time, maybe you can go with me into Billings to look at them.” Instant hesitancy wiped off her smile, and she glanced away to reach for the mug. He waited until she took a sip and set it down before leaning forward and cupping her chin to turn her face back to him. Holding her still, he covered her mouth with his, kissed her long and deep, and then released her to sit back. “Give me the cost and I’ll put it through when you’re ready,” he stated, letting her know trust was a two-way street.
Avery’s small tongue came out and stroked over her plump, lower lip, a simple gesture made all the more potent by its innocence. Grayson needed space and perspective, in that order. Rising, he nodded toward the hall. “I’ll be in my office, first door on the right.”
It took her another hour, but when she called for him to pay for the upgrades and then showed him how well his computer now ran, he couldn’t help but be impressed. He also couldn’t help wondering what position she held before coming to Willow Springs and watched her closely as he walked her outside, commenting, “You know, sugar, with your skills you could likely land any IT position.” She stiffened against him before reaching for the car door handle and ignoring his observation.
“Thanks for giving me the chance to help you out.”
With his hand on the top of the open door, he waited until she settled behind the wheel before leaning down and expressing his desire to pay her again. “Your time and talent are worth something, Avery. Since you refuse to let me pay you and we only offer one guest pass per person to our club, feel free to return at my expense.” He hardened his voice when he saw the immediate resistance on her face. “I insist.” Shutting the door, he stepped away with a wave and then turned his back on her confused expression.
“I need a favor,” Avery told Sydney a few days later as they sat in Nan’s tea shop for their weekly visit. When Grayson had tossed out his payment of the club entry fee in exchange for the work she’d done on his computer, his look stated louder than the offer that he wanted to be the one to continue her education into kink. Since that was what she wanted also, she needed to show up prepared to stay on his good side, and that meant finding something suitable to wear.
“Sure. What’s up?” Sydney agreed without hesitation.
“Clothes. I only have jeans and tops and need something that will pass the club rules.” She shrugged self-consciously. “I’m not exactly skinny, or sexy and never needed much else in the way of clothing.”
“Master Grayson seemed pleased enough with your figure,” Nan tossed out from behind the counter. “I knew he could entice you into returning.”
“And I sure as heck wouldn’t mind some of your curves.” Sydney’s pointed look at Avery’s chest slid down to her own.
Avery giggled. “To use Nan’s words, Caden seems happy with what you’ve got.”
Sydney’s face brightened. “Yeah, he is. I’m in. We’ll run down to the boutique when we leave here and find something that will knock Master Grayson back a step.”
“Not too far,” Avery chided. “The idea is to keep his attention.”
Concern clouded Nan’s brown eyes. “Enjoy him, Avery, but don’t get attached or read too much into his attention. He’s not the staying type.”
“I disagree,” Sydney argued with a shake of her head. “Caden was a confirmed bachelor before I showed up and now look at us.” She wiggled her glittering ring finger. “I’ve seen the way Grayson watches you, Avery. A hawk couldn’t maintain such intense interest.”
Avery didn’t mention she feared that interest stemmed more from unearthing her secrets than her sexual education into BDSM. She didn’t need Nan’s warning; she knew there was no future for her here, or with a man like the dominating but caring sheriff.
“Like you both have told me, Grayson is a good tutor, and that’s all that is between us. I don’t want to be punished the minute I step inside the club Friday night.” She winced.
“You never know, you may like it,” Sydney
returned with a sly look in her eyes. Stuffing the last bite of blueberry muffin into her mouth, she washed it down with a sip of tea before saying, “Let’s go shopping.”
Friday night, Avery parked in front of The Barn again, this time knowing what to expect. So, why were her palms just as clammy and her heartbeat racing just as fast as last week when she slid out of the car? She wanted to be here, that much she knew for certain. Last week, Master Grayson had expanded on what he’d started during their phone conversation, opening up something inside her, a part of her she never imagined existed. If only she could get past the fear of putting her trust into the wrong man again. That barrier kept her from fully relaxing around the one man whose complete sexual dominance she could envision herself welcoming. Geeks were not brave or adventurous, at least she’d never been.
With a tight grip on the bag holding her change of clothes, she dashed inside the double doors before she could chicken out. Avery relished the rush of heat as she hung up her coat, wishing she had asked either Nan or Sydney to meet her in the foyer again. Squaring her shoulders, she recalled the way Grayson had brought all her senses alive with that simple example of bondage and one, searing kiss. Yes! she crowed silently when her nipples grew taut just from the memory. That’s why I’m here, what I want more of along with his trust.
Slipping into the restroom on the other side of the foyer from the coat closet, she changed out of her jeans and into the calf-length, pleated gray skirt she’d chosen over Sydney’s pick of a much shorter, tighter black one. As she exchanged her sweatshirt for the red camisole top that didn’t allow for a bra, she wondered why she’d caved to her friend’s insistence on this garment. When she’d tried it on in the shop, she didn’t remember seeing every bump on her areolas outlined by the satin or the noticeable sway of her full breasts as she moved. Nothing I can do about it now, she thought. With a deep inhale, she padded barefoot back out to the foyer and entered the club, not expecting the surge of excitement tickling her abdomen at hearing the tormented cries of slapping flesh and soft moans of pleasure wafting down from the dimly lit loft and breathing in the pungent mingling odor of leather and sex.