“Eloise, put the gun away, you’re not leaving here,” Tim said calmly.
“You bastard, I can’t believe you set me up like this.”
Her and Eloise both.
Tara noticed that Tim didn’t move from where he stood in the office doorway. Ass.
“Don’t move,” Eloise said sharply as Sloan took a step closer to her.
“You guys need to step back,” Tara told them, the last thing she wanted was for the two of them to get hurt.
“I’m not moving anywhere, sugar,” Sloan said. “Eloise, is it? Just put the gun down like a good girl and no one needs to get hurt.”
Eloise’s eyes narrowed. “I’m leaving and no one is going to stop me.”
“Like hell. Did you really think you could get away with it, Eloise?” Tim asked.
“Shut up, Tim,” Tara snarled.
“Tara, be quiet,” Alex snapped.
Tara resisted the urge to glare at him. There was no need snap at her! She hadn’t caused any of this.
“This isn’t my fault,” she muttered.
“We’ll talk about it later. Now be quiet unless you want me to gag you every night for the next month.”
Tara pressed her lips closed, grimacing in annoyance. He had no right to boss her around, especially since she’d ended things with him.
“All of you shut up!” Eloise screeched and Tara jumped.
Tara’s breath came in short, fast pants. She couldn’t take much more. She’d been mugged and she’d kept her cool. Her apartment had been ransacked and she hadn’t broken down. But this was too much.
A sob broke free.
“Easy, baby,” Alex said in a low voice. “We got this. Sloan, now.”
There was a blur of movement. Sloan slammed into her. A gun shot deafened her. Fiery pain erupted in her arm as she fell to the ground with a thud, Sloan’s large body covering her from head to toe. There was a loud grunt and a high-pitched screech.
What the hell was going on?
If Sloan was on top of her, did that mean Alex…
“Alex,” she yelled, squirming under Sloan’s weight. Damn, he was heavy.
“Lie still,” Sloan muttered in her ear, taking some of his weight off her so she could breathe easier. “I’m not moving until Alex gives the all-clear, so all you’re going to do is wear yourself out.”
“Let me up, he could be hurt.”
“No. Now lie still or I’m gonna tell your Dom you’re a disobedient brat and deserve to be spanked until you can’t sit down for a week.”
Tears dripped down her face in frustration and fear. What if Alex was hurt? Shot? She’d never been so scared in her life.
“All clear,” Alex called out.
Sloan slowly stood up. She ignored his offered hand as she scrambled up. She stared around frantically for Alex. He stood across the room with Eloise at his feet. Her arms were behind her back, her gun held firmly in Alex’s hand.
“Oh, thank God,” she breathed.
Then she turned and punched Sloan in the stomach.
“Don’t you ever do that again!”
“Tara!” Alex barked.
She ignored Alex. “He could have gotten hurt!” She pointed at Alex as she glared up at Sloan. She was yelling at him because if she didn’t let out some of her anger and fear she’d explode.
Instead of getting mad, Sloan just stared down at her with a grin. He reached out and tugged her braid. “You know damn well I’d do it again. Subs are to be protected, little one. Not put in harm’s way.” He glared at Tim who was half hidden in the doorway.
“Seems like you all had it under control,” Tim protested. Then he stepped inside the office.
“You put my sub in danger,” Alex snarled. Tim visibly swallowed, his eyes widening in fear.
“I didn’t know Tara would come in tonight or that Eloise would be here with a gun,” Tim whined.
Alex took a step forward then looked down at Eloise who was weeping uncontrollably. She started wailing. Loudly.
“Shut. Up.”
Eloise immediately quietened, looking up at Alex in fear. Tara would have shut up as well.
Alex looked fierce. She always thought of him as refined. Strong and dominant, sure. But civilized. He looked anything but civilized right now.
He looked wild. She kind of liked this side of him. Hell, she loved all of him. Too bad he didn’t feel the same way.
“What did you tie her up with?” Funny, now that everything was all over, she felt light-headed. Kind of out of it.
Alex stared at her for a long moment. “My belt. Tara, come here.”
She shook her head then held her hand up to her forehead as it spun. “No.”
“What’s wrong? Tara? You’ve gone all pale,” Alex asked.
Sloan grabbed her, spinning her around. A sharp pain radiated down her left arm. Her stomach bubbled.
“I’m going to throw up.”
“Fuck! She’s been shot.”
Her knees buckled right before darkness overtook her and she sank gratefully into unconsciousness.
***
Tara woke up feeling groggy and disorientated. Her gaze was blurry as she blinked, trying to wake up. She must have been in a deep sleep to feel this out of it.
Gazing around, panic hit her as she realized she had no clue where she was. She dragged in a sharp breath as she attempted to sit up. She groaned as pain rushed through her, stealing her breath.
“Easy, baby. Lie back.”
Suddenly Alex filled her vision.
“Alex, where am I? What happened?” Her voice was croaky, shaky.
Alex helped her lie back. The sheets beneath her were scratchy and stiff, nothing like the expensive linen that Alex had on his bed. Something beeped and there was the sound of voices.
“I’m in a hospital?”
“You were shot,” Alex said in a harsh voice.
Tara took a good look at him. His normally neat dark hair was messed up, standing on end. As though he’d run his fingers through it a number of times. His shirt was wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Me?” He looked at her in shock. “Am I okay? You were shot, Tara!”
“Is it bad?”
She tried to glance down at her arm, but couldn’t see anything except a white bandage.
Alex shook his head. “You were shot,” he repeated. “Shot.”
Reaching for his hand with her good arm, she squeezed it tight. “I know. I’m okay. Why don’t you sit down, you don’t look so great.”
Alex sat down then he suddenly stood again. “Stop taking care of me!”
Hurt filled her and she slumped back, wincing as her arm pulled. “I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“What?” He stared at her in confusion.
“Our contract. I ended it. I suppose it’s just as well. I guess I’m going to be laid up for a while, you’ll want someone else to play with.”
Pain far worse than her wound shot through her body at the thought of him with someone else. But she knew it was the right thing, letting him go.
“Do you really think that while you’re recovering from a gunshot wound that I’m going to find someone else to fuck? Don’t think much of me, do you?”
“Alex, I ended things. I gave you back your collar. I can’t be your sub anymore, or your lover.”
“Why not?”
She licked her lips. This was so hard, but she owed him an explanation.
“I broke our contract.”
He frowned. “You slept with someone else?”
Her gaze widened. “What? No.” She tried to move, but pain shot through her body and she collapsed back against the bed, panting heavily.
Alex swore quietly. “Lie still. That’s an order.”
She looked up into his worried face.
“Just lie still, baby,” he told her. “We can work this all out later, when you’re feeling better.”
A huge yawn caught her by surprise. Hadn’t
she just woken up? “I’m sorry, I’m so tired.”
He brushed his hand over her hair. “That’s okay, baby. You go to sleep.”
***
Tara woke up with a groan. Her pillow was damp and she swiped at her mouth as she realized she’d been drooling.
“Yuck.”
“Tara? You okay?”
Alex stepped into her vision. Great, he really was seeing her at her most attractive.
“I’m okay. Can you call a nurse for me?”
“Why? Are you hurting? Do you need more pain killers?”
Tara shook her head. “No, I, umm, I need to…”
“What?”
“I need to go to the bathroom and I don’t think I can manage on my own.” She felt herself go bright red.
“Ahh.” He smiled gently then he held out his arm to her. “Hold onto my arm and let me pull you up.”
She held on and he eased her up, helping her twist around. He clasped her around the waist as she stood.
“Okay, I got it from here,” she said as they reached the bathroom door.
He shook his head. “I’m coming in with you.”
“No. Way.”
“You could faint, fall and hit your head. I’ll turn my back, I promise.”
“This is the most humiliating moment of my life,” she told him as he helped her into the bathroom. Her embarrassment grew when she realized she couldn’t pull her panties down. They’d stripped her bare and put her in this gown, but left her panties on.
Alex knelt without a word then pulled off her panties. He’d helped her sit then moved to the door and turned his back. Tara took a deep breath and tried to relax.
She peed quickly then realized there was no way she could stand without help.
“Umm, Alex?”
He turned and helped her stand before pulling her panties up. He steadied her as she washed up and then swung her into his arms and carried her back to the bed.
“Thanks,” she said tiredly as he lay her back in bed. She was exhausted and sore.
“I’m going to get you some more pain killers, and you’ll take them,” he told her sternly, tapping her nose. He hit the buzzer for the nurse and explained the situation. Once the nurse had brought the painkillers, Alex took a seat beside her bed again.
Tara smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said.
“For what?”
“For taking care of me. No one has ever taken care of me the way you do.”
He squeezed her hand. “Then it’s about time someone did.”
Alex stared down at Tara as lay sleeping on the hospital bed. He could have lost her. She’d been shot. It may have only hit her in the arm, but that was awfully close to her heart.
She could have died.
He’d very nearly failed her and she thanked him for taking care of her. If he had been taking care of her properly then she would never have been in harm’s way. Enough was enough. He couldn’t take this anymore. If he had to tie her to the bed then he would. But she would be safe.
***
“Knock, knock.” Tara looked over with a frown as Tim walked into her hospital room, a huge bunch of flowers in his hands.
“Hi,” he said sheepishly. “How are you?”
Tara just glared at him.
“Umm, I’ll just put these down here, ok?” he said, placing them on the windowsill. “They’ll need some water soon.”
“What do you want, Tim?” she asked after a moment of awkward silence. She was not in the mood to talk to her old boss, not after the shit he’d put her through. Plus, Alex was due back any moment. He’d gone home to shower and get some fresh clothes and he would not appreciate Tim being here when he returned.
“I wanted to come and tell you that I’m sorry you got, you know, shot. I didn’t mean for you to get mixed up in this.”
She nodded. She wasn’t really in a forgiving mood.
“I swear I never thought you would bring that stuff in that night. I figured you’d wait until Monday.”
“Yeah, that was pretty stupid of me,” she admitted. “You wanted to catch Eloise on camera trying to look at my laptop and the pen drive?”
“Yes,” he said. “I never thought she’d figure out that we were on to her.”
Tara frowned. “That was a bit risky, wasn’t it? What if she’d managed to send off the information before you caught her?”
“The Henderson bid information wasn’t on there. I just wanted to catch her in the act of snooping. Turns out I didn’t need to bother.”
“So did Eloise create a lot of problems for you?”
“Nah, when we started to suspect her we made sure to move all our important documents. It was all false information she sent out.” Tim grinned. “She did us a favor.”
He stood there awkwardly for a long moment. She didn’t offer him a seat.
“Anyway, I’d better go. If you want your old job back then call me.”
He left before Tara could tell him exactly where to shove his job.
Chapter Twelve
Tara was going insane.
After spending a week in the hospital, Alex had brought her back to his apartment. Even though the gunshot hadn’t been particularly serious, it was still going to be a while before she could work. Thankfully, Reagan was holding her position. Reagan’s current assistant had agreed to stay on until Tara was cleared for work.
Meanwhile, Alex had been waiting on her hand and foot. He’d treated her like a princess, even taking time off work to look after her.
She was totally confused.
Hadn’t she ended things? Was he just looking after her out of pity? He certainly hadn’t made any move to touch her, and he slept in the spare room, despite her protests.
Now that she was feeling better, she knew it was time to leave. Being around him was torturous. Her arm was still stiff and sore, but at least she could use the bathroom on her own now.
“What are you doing?”
Turning, she saw Alex standing in the bedroom doorway frowning at her.
“I’m sorting through my clothes.”
“Leave that, you should be resting.”
Tara sighed. “Alex, I appreciate all your help. You’ve gone beyond the call of duty. But I can’t stay here any longer. I need to go.”
He stared down at her in shock.
“I need to move on, Alex. I deserve to be happy. I deserve to find a man who will love me back. I know you don’t feel the same way I do and that’s fine—”
“Tara—”
“That’s why I gave you back the collar. I’m going to go and stay with Derrick and Jacey. You can find someone who will give you what you need. I’m really grateful—”
“Tara!” he interrupted loudly, surprising her.
“Yes?”
“Shut. Up.” It was the fierceness of his expression rather than the words that had her falling silent.
“I don’t want to hear another word about how grateful you are. I don’t want you to be grateful to me.”
She looked at him in confusion. “Then what do you want?”
“I want you to love me, woman!”
Tara sat back on the bed. “What? You what?”
She couldn’t have heard that right, could she?
He paced up and down the small room. “I love you. I’m going to rip up that stupid contract.”
“Because I broke it.”
“No. Because that’s no longer what I want. I don’t want a relationship based just on sex. I want it all. I want you to love me the way I love you.”
“You…love me?”
Alex knelt in front of her, clasping her hands in his. “Yes, more than anything in this world. I love you, Tara. Will you agree to tear up that contract and start again? I have been such an idiot. How the hell did you put up with me?”
She smiled a little. “Whenever I got frustrated I just imagined tying you up and spanking your ass.”
He raised his eyebrows then let out a surprised laugh. “Made you feel
better, did it?”
She nodded. Then she stared down at her hands which were tightly clasped together in her lap.
“What’s wrong? You don’t seem that happy.” Panic unfurled inside him. What was wrong? Had he waited too long?
“Are you sure about this? I mean, you were pretty adamant that I wasn’t to fall in love with you. Are you sure that you trust me? Because this won’t work if you don’t.”
He sat up on the bed beside her. “You’re right. This won’t work without trust. But I do trust you, Tara. I know you won’t betray or hurt me.”
Clasping her hand in his, he squeezed it gently. There were things he needed to explain to her. “I find it hard to talk about what my ex-wife put me through. Simone was a cold, hard bitch. She married me for my money. That’s all she wanted. She went to others for everything else.”
Tara drew in a sharp breath. “She cheated on you?” The disbelief in her voice soothed something deep inside him. There was a part of him that was still raw over the fact that Simone had rejected him.
“Simone slept with everyone but me. I think she enjoyed the thrill of it, of nearly getting caught. When I finally caught her in the act she told me that I wasn’t enough for her. That she needed more.”
“More than you?”
He chuckled. “You do wonders for my self-esteem, sweet. My pride took a blow.”
“She was a bitch.”
“Yes, she was. Only I didn’t see it for the longest time. I felt like a fool. It hardened me.”
“And made it hard for you to trust anyone else.”
“Yes. I always swore that I’d never let anyone have the power to hurt me like that again. I thought I was protecting myself with that contract. Then I realized that what I felt for her paled in comparison to what I feel for you.”
Sadness filled her. “I’m not her, Alex. I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“I know. I do trust you, Tara. You’re too honest, too loving to ever betray me like that. But sometimes my emotions get the better of me and I act before I think, like when I jumped down Issac’s throat the other night at the club.”
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