by Thianna D
When she got home from this ill-fated journey, she would have to pull up one of Grant’s movies online. Would be a good way to spend her evening. Grinning at the thought, she didn’t pay attention until he was right in front of her.
“Are you all right?” he asked, sounding confused.
Blushing because who knew what kind of expression was on her face, Zinnia nodded. “Yes, sorry. Mind went thataway…” When he smiled, she smiled back. Damn, with a smile on his face he was even better looking. That was dreadfully unfair… and bad for her equilibrium. “So, this is your car?”
“Yes. And I called Jonathon. He’ll get your car towed.”
The drive to Denver was pleasant. Corbin was nice and he made light conversation while he drove, never intrusive or forward. Well, he wouldn’t be. He didn’t know who she really was and the only men who wanted women her size did so because she was a star, somewhat. Nobody wanted the girl with the Marilyn Monroe figure anymore. She tried to be a skinny minnie several times, going so far once to even become bulimic for a couple of years, but after therapy she finally accepted the fact she would never be thin. Since then, she had come to love her body to a certain extent. The only time she ever felt self-conscious was when in the presence of a man she was attracted to.
“What dealership?” he asked in his deep voice as they entered the outskirts. She gave the directions she had written down and fifteen minutes later they pulled up in front of an Audi dealer.
“Okay,” she said in relief, grasping the door handle. “Thanks so much for giving me a ride. After the beast died, I didn’t know how I would get down here.”
“It was no trouble. Like I said, I needed to come down here anyway. I’ll wait until you’re sure the car is here and you can take it before I leave.”
Maybe that should have rankled her, but it didn’t. She just nodded and got out, closing her door before heading into the dealership. As soon as she stepped inside, a man in dress slacks and a white button-down shirt walked up. “What can I help you with today?” he asked in a pleasant voice.
“I’m looking for Peter. I bought a car and am here to pick it up.”
Peter was oilier in person than he had been on the phone. She was just glad she had already paid for it as it lessened the time she had to be in his presence. Twenty minutes later, he walked her out and she waved to Corbin as she reached her car.
While she would have loved to be frivolous and buy a roadster, she knew with the snow that would be a silly thing to do, so she had bought a hybrid wagon and the moment she saw it, her eyes lit up. A deep blue with light tan leather seats. Just what she’d ordered. Of course Peter had tried to talk her into some upgrades, but after her tenth “no” he finally gave up – or maybe that was their final upgrade that he could offer – and got her keys.
By the time she got into the driver’s seat and put the key into the ignition, Corbin’s car was gone and with a sense of adventure she drove off the lot, glad to have a car she could trust now. Having made lists of things she needed or wanted to have, she spent the afternoon stopping at malls and grocery stores, packing her new car to the hilt before heading back to Corbin’s Bend. So far she liked her new community. Of course, she hadn’t seen much of it. Mostly she kept to herself, but she had met a few neighbors when she went to the closest mini-mart to get food to keep her going until she could get to Denver.
Now she should be set for a good two to three weeks. As she drove home, Zinnia was glad the broken down car was gone from the road and she wondered where they had it towed to as she pulled into her garage. She supposed she would need to call Jonathon and find out so she could get someone to collect it.
* * * * *
The knock on the front door was a surprise and Zinnia looked up from her current project of putting her new table together. Her trip to Denver had been so much fun two days previous that she had gone again yesterday and had purchased a few more things, including a broken down bench that in her mind would make a unique dining table once she got it together correctly. Currently it was about ten percent done.
Putting down the piece she was holding, she stood up, grimacing as something cracked. Obviously she had been crouching for far too long. As she opened the door, she stared at the woman who stood in front of her, beaming. “Hello?” Zinnia said cautiously.
“Hi. My name’s Lizzy Mayfield and I’m your mentor! Can I come in?” she asked with a slight head tilt when Zinnia just stared at her.
“Oh! Sure, come in. I’ll warn you, the house smells of glue right now.”
“Cool. I can get high from the fumes and Marilyn can’t get disappointed at me,” she said with a laugh, walking through the door and into the living room.
After closing the door, Zinnia followed her, taking the armchair closest to where her guest sat. Lizzy’s eyes were looking at her table which gave her a few minutes to observe the woman. Short with a frame even more abundant than Zinnia’s, Lizzy exuded happiness. Her graying hair and happy eyes made Zinnia wonder just what she had to be so joyful about.
Turning toward her, Lizzy beamed. “I’m so sorry I’m late. Marilyn and I were out of state when you moved in. I just got the message from Jonathon this morning or I would have come over earlier. Have you found everything in Corbin’s Bend yet?”
The words came out quickly, so fast it took her a moment to figure out what her guest said. She couldn’t help but smile. In fact, Zinnia had the feeling you had to smile when around Lizzy Mayfield. She exuded joy and Zinnia felt herself wrapped inside it. “I haven’t found much,” she admitted. “Finally got down to Denver to find a few things. Now, uh, what were you saying about a mentor?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Didn’t read your packet?”
Blushing because no, she hadn’t, Zinnia fidgeted a little. In fact she had stuffed the envelope in a drawer and hadn’t looked at it since she moved in. “Err, no. I’ve been busy.”
Laughing, Lizzy winked. “Yep, busy, busy. Those of us on the bottom end of the scale fracture our time, don’t we? So, every new member of Corbin’s Bend is assigned a mentor, someone who has been there and can help them through anything from getting into the community to learning about their role in a discipline relationship.”
Zinnia wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “I need a mentor? I’m not even in a relationship.” And she didn’t plan to be… except for with her DVD player where she planned to play every Cary Grant movie ever made over and over again. She had tried to convince herself Corbin Nelson had nothing to do with it, but she knew he did. Suave, debonair, handsome, dominant… and more than likely an asshole. Weren’t they all?
“Of course you do. Most of us think we don’t, but think of me as…” She paused and looked thoughtful. “A four-one-one call. You want to know where the best hiking spots are? Call me. You need to find a store that carries a certain brand of pickles because that is the only kind you eat? Call me. I might not have the answer, but I’d be happy as a clam to help you hunt them up. And if you find yourself getting to know one of our single men and want a shoulder to cry on after he blisters your backside even though you probably asked for it? Call me. I can give you a cool pillow to sit on and listen. Though I’ll admit I won’t ever badmouth him. Of course, if he spanks you and you didn’t deserve it? Definitely call me. I’ll tell Marilyn and she’ll rain all over his fucking parade.”
As Zinnia stared at her and started to laugh, Lizzy beamed and then grimaced. “But don’t tell Marilyn I just swore. I won’t sit down tonight.”
As her laugh dimmed, Zinnie nodded. “Promise. While I was on the outskirts of the BDSM scene in Portland, I guess I’m not used to people being so open about spanking,” she admitted.
“You’ll get used to it. Or go crazy trying,” she replied with a snicker. “The first time you see someone lay their hand on someone else’s bottom out in public, your eyes will probably burst out of your skull. But I promise, you’ll get used to it.”
Curling up with one leg underneath her, Zinn
ia asked, “Would you like some coffee? Or hot cocoa?”
“Love some!”
Talking to Lizzy was the most fun she’d had in days and by the time her mentor left after getting her to promise to go to Lizzy’s house in a week for another get-together, Zinnia knew she’d made a friend. And not even the fake kind she had dealt with in the theatre. No, she had the feeling Lizzy was someone she could rely on. And it just added to her feeling of safety here.
Coming back into the living room, her eyes drifted to the table and she grunted. “Back to work.”
Chapter Three
“I don’t need a fucking mentor,” Corbin said, glaring at the man in front of him.
“Yes, you do,” Benjamin said, ignoring his glare. But then the man had been military for over twenty years and was a combat vet. To him, Corbin’s glare was probably pitiful. “Everyone gets one and you know as well as I do that you’ve never lived a discipline relationship, let alone been able to spank an ass whenever you wanted to. Of course, Corbin, Brent said you’d be difficult. Told me if you gave me too much trouble that payback’s a bitch.”
“Fuck,” Corbin said, laughing despite the situation as he stood back and let his new friend inside. “Brent’s a pain in my ass. He tell you about why he named the community after me?”
“Nope.”
They walked into his living room and sat down. “Because I didn’t move here. It was his way of paying me back.”
Barking a laugh, Benjamin’s eyes twinkled. “You realize everyone who lives here knows you’ve moved in? They can’t wait to meet the last founder.” He cleared his throat. “And all the single ladies can’t wait to meet the new available dominant.”
Freezing, as that was the last thing he wanted, Corbin shook his head. “No. I’m not interested in dating. The occasional fuck is fine. But no dating.”
“All right,” Benjamin said, with a shrug. “Have you been able to check out the community yet?”
“A couple days ago I went looking around. Found a damsel in distress and ended up taking her to Denver, though, and since it started snowing again yesterday I haven’t resumed my tour.”
“Damsel in distress? Wouldn’t have been Suzie Mayer, would it? I swear that woman has more accidents than anyone ever.”
Chuckling, Corbin shook his head. “No. Zinnia’s new to town as well.”
“Oh, Zinnia! Yes, Jonathon told me about her the day she moved in. Said the poor thing looked like a drowned rat and that she was driving a car that should have been put down years ago.”
“It should have,” Corbin agreed. He had tried not to think of the beautiful redhead over the last two days but it had been incredibly difficult. That gorgeous straight red hair, her flashing green eyes, not to mention her abundant hips that could cushion a man in their softness. Of course there was also the suspicion of how amazing it would be to spank her bottom. Just thinking of it brought a physical reaction that made him growl and cross his legs.
Benjamin raised an eyebrow. “If she brings about that much interest, why don’t you want to date her?”
“After Lena? Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’m walking back into that trap.” The anger in his voice made him wince.
“There are a lot of good people out there,” his mentor chided gently. “Just because you got saddled with one unhappy relationship, does not mean they all are. You should talk to Jonathon about the man he was with before me. He had a lot of fears it took me months to get past and years to mostly annihilate. Every once in a while one of them crops up and we take care of it. Being alone isn’t the answer, Corbin. It’s being yourself and living the life you were meant to live.”
They talked for a good hour before Benjamin took his leave. “Oh, we’re having a dinner party next week to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the day we pledged ourselves to each other. Come on over. Brent and Char will be there, as will Jason and Rose, their granddaughter Dina and her boyfriend Brandon who served with me; Calbert and Jenna are out of town…” He frowned as if trying to remember. “We invited twenty people but I don’t know who all will be coming. Oh! Marilyn and Lizzy will be there.”
Corbin looked up quickly with interest. “I haven’t seen them in years. What day and time?”
* * * * *
The next week went along quickly. One of the things that had been on his mind was getting a new business going. Sure he had enough money to live on for the rest of his life, but he would go nuts if all he did was sit around all day. He had a couple ideas but needed to run one of them past Brent and the rest of the board before he moved forward with it as it would affect Corbin’s Bend. The other he could simply run from his computer and wouldn’t take much time at all.
He had known of Benjamin and Jonathon for years through email and phone but it hadn’t been until arriving in Colorado that he had actually met either of them. With this being an important anniversary, Corbin knew he needed to get them a gift and Corbin’s Bend was not the kind of place that would have the shop he wanted to go to. Which meant another trip to Denver. With snow coming soon again, he headed out early Thursday morning. Everything seemed so quiet up on the mountain and even though it was cold, he put his window down slightly to hear the wind as it went by.
Along with the whistling wind, he also heard the shriek. Slamming on his breaks as his car flew around a corner, he barely missed hitting the new Audi parked almost sideways in the road. Sliding into the gravel on the opposite side from the guard rail, he leapt out, spotting Zinnia standing in front of her car with her hands grasping her hair. For a moment, he couldn’t move. The early morning sun shown right on top of her hair making the red incredibly vibrant. As she screamed again, he dashed across the street. Instantly he saw the problem. Her front left tire was gone; only the rim remained. Wanting to put her at ease, he said, “We should stop meeting like this.”
Her head came up and the tear tracks down her face made him want to pull her close and hold her until she felt better. “It just… exploded,” she hiccupped. “I thought I was going to careen over the edge. Instead it whipped around twice and then stopped. Me and cars don’t mix.” Her last words were an attempt at humor and he smiled.
“Let’s get the car out of the road and then you can ride with me,” he offered, gently guiding her over to his car. “Get in,” he prodded as he opened the passenger side door. She fell in, appearing as though she wasn’t far from going into shock, and he fastened her seatbelt. Dashing back to her car, he climbed into the driver’s side. The car screeched and rocked, but he was able to back it up and pull it to the far side of the road away from the drop off. As he got out, he could see her staring almost blankly ahead. The signs of shock were so apparent; he knew he needed to get her to a doctor and fast.
Grabbing his phone, he pushed the number for Brent. When it went to voicemail, he swore and dialed Jonathon. “Corbin’s Bend, this is Jonathon.”
“Jonathon, it’s Corbin. We’ve got an emergency.” After explaining the situation, he paused, his eyes on the woman in his car who slumped forward, the only thing stopping her head from hitting the dash being the seatbelt. “Fuck! She just passed out.”
“Get her to Doc Devon’s,” Jonathon said quickly. “I’ll call ahead and let him know you’re coming. And don’t worry about her car. I’ll get it towed.”
Glad that they were only ten minutes outside of the community, Corbin jumped back into his car and after a little maneuvering, got it headed back the way he came. Zinnia was unconscious and he wished he knew more than basic CPR.
The door to the medical clinic was open and a tall man stood right outside the door waiting as he drove up. “Doc Devon?” he called as he opened the door.
“Yep. You must be Corbin. Jonathon gave me just the basics. Tell me what happened.” It took the two of them, but they carried her to a small gurney that sat just inside the door. Corbin explained exactly what she had told him and what happened afterward. “She must have been terrified.”
The doctor
nodded. “Can’t blame her. That guard rail doesn’t really save a person if their car truly wants to go off the edge.” He lifted an eyelid and shown a light in her eye and then did the same with the other. “I think this is probably just shock and because she was strapped into your car when it happened, we don’t have any injuries to worry about.” Grabbing a couple pillows that sat on a nearby chair, he turned back. “Lift her legs.” As Corbin lifted them, the doctor shoved the pillows underneath. “Now we just need to keep her warm and make sure she has enough oxygen and fluids.” After pulling a large blanket from one of the cupboards and handing it to Corbin, the doctor left for a moment. Not knowing what else to do, he draped it over her supine body, tucking it into her sides while trying not to notice her luscious curves.
A few minutes later, the man returned, a plastic bag in his hands with something inside of it. As Corbin watched, he ripped off the plastic and wrapped a small tube around Zinnia’s head, leaving part of it just under her nose. Once that was in place, he hooked the other end up to a small machine. Instantly there was an almost silent hiss. “Oxygen,” the good doctor explained. “And when she comes to, I’d suggest making her drink something similar to Gatorade.”
Now that they had nothing to do but wait, Corbin asked, “So do you have a first name or are you always Doc Devon?”
Casting him an amused glance, the doctor shook his head. “Marcus. Everyone who knows me calls me by my first name. This your girl? She’s a pretty thing.”
“Yes, she is. And no, she’s not my girl. She’s a new resident in the community as well.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll have to give Jacob Mence a call. She’s just his type and he’s been looking for a couple months.”