Val turned on her stilettos, not bothering to answer the redneck who couldn’t even get someone like Dani to marry him. It had all gone to hell. She strode into the reception hall, determined to figure out a way out of the mess her sister had left her with.
Chapter Four
Dani sat on the sofa and looked between the two men who were carefully studying her. She decided she’d been more comfortable with her boss’s husband when he had a baby attached to his chest. He’d seemed far less dangerous with a toothless infant dangling in front of him. Now Josh and Olivia had been put down for naps, and she was the object of both men’s attention. She tried hard not to feel like an insect they had carefully pinned and made ready for dissection. Jack Barnes and Julian Lodge seemed perfectly comfortable with the silence that hung heavy in the air.
“Thanks for the clothes.” She had to say something. She smoothed down the cotton T-shirt Jack had found for her. The jeans were slightly too big, but a belt had taken care of that. She glanced at the clock, wondering if there was any way she could get out of here before her boss came home. Abby Barnes was away this afternoon attending a wedding. Her wedding. But where was she going to go? A part of her wished she was still in that car with Julian, just driving. She hadn’t had to face reality while she was in that car. Well, she had to face it now. She wasn’t some dreamy-eyed teen. She had to take her medicine. She would have loved a day or two to sort things out, but she wasn’t going to get it. “If I could use a phone, I’ll get out of your hair.”
“Who do you intend to call, little one?”
Dani sat up straighter. God, couldn’t the man ask a simple question without the words going straight to her crotch? And why did he have to call her little one? She obviously wasn’t little. Val was the slender one. Maybe he wasn’t as nice as she thought he was. He wouldn’t be the first person to make fun of her. She crossed her legs and gathered her last shred of dignity. She should never have gotten in the car with him. She shouldn’t have run in the first place but getting into a stranger’s car was ludicrous. If she couldn’t handle Jimbo Smart, she had no idea how she was supposed to hold her own with Julian Lodge. Perhaps it was time to grow a backbone. “That is none of your business, Mr. Lodge.”
One elegant eyebrow arched, and the room seemed to get cold.
“Sir.” So much for a backbone.
Jack Barnes laughed sharply. “Well, that was inevitable.”
Julian slid a glance Jack’s way. “Any possibility there’s someone I can pass her off to?”
Jack shook his head, crossing his booted foot casually over his knee. He made the leather chair he sat on seem like a throne. “Here? Not a chance. And it’s worse than you think. If she ran out on her wedding, those old biddies in town will make life hell on her. They can’t take her job, but they can make sure she’s isolated. Do you know what that will do to a woman like Dani?”
“If this is what being a part of the community has done for her, then perhaps she should try isolation,” Julian murmured. “Any chance you need a fourth?”
Emerald green eyes rolled. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that. Let’s just say I would like to keep all of my man parts in their current position. If you don’t want her, call Leo. Hell, look at her. If you walk her into The Club, you’ll have to beat the Doms off her.”
Dani had no idea what they were talking about. She didn’t know a Leo or a man named Dom. Anger started to build in her gut. She was used to people talking about her behind her back, but at least they didn’t do it while she was sitting right in front of them. There was such a thing as common courtesy.
A slow smile spread across Jack Barnes’s face. “You don’t like that idea, do you, Julian?”
“I didn’t say that.” He sounded like he was gritting his teeth.
“You didn’t have to.” There was a wealth of satisfaction in Jack’s tone. “Fine. I’ll call Leo myself. He’s been looking for a permanent sub for a while now. It will be my pleasure to get him down here. Maybe once he takes a look at her, he can forget about Abby. I swear I’m going to kick his ass one of these days.”
Julian’s jaw tightened, the words grinding from his mouth. “Don’t you call him. She’s my problem, and I’ll take care of her.”
The words hit her like an out-of-control train, slamming into her, making her sick with shame. Problem? She was starting to process his words, though they didn’t all make sense. Julian Lodge thought she was a burden and was trying to foist her off on someone else. She wasn’t a burden. She never had been. She’d always been the one to take the load off someone else. She was the one who never complained and never argued. Until she’d run out of that church, she’d never caused a single scandal, with the exception of being friends with Finn. Dani had given up her whole future to take care of a sick mother and put her sister through school. She did not deserve their scorn. She stood, sick to death of people who didn’t value her.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here. If you won’t let me use your phone, then I’ll just walk, but I won’t stand here while you two jerks make fun of me. I don’t know about this guy.” She gestured to Julian, whose face had gone stony cold. “But I thought better of you, Mr. Barnes. I didn’t think you were the type to kick a person when she was down. I guess I was wrong. Please tell Abby that I won’t be in to the clinic any more. I’ll find something else.”
God, she’d quit her job. She loved her job. It was the one bright spot in her dreary life. Why had she done that? But there was no backing down now. She turned to leave. She would mail Abby her clothes later. Right now, it was a long walk back to town.
“Danielle!”
Julian’s sharp bark caused her to stop in her tracks. She turned almost unwillingly.
“That was a good start, but you didn’t understand,” he said, patience molding his every word. “We weren’t making fun of you. We were rather making fun of me. But I’m proud of how you stood up for yourself. Now please sit back down and we’ll talk about what to do next.”
So he could make fun of her again? “You city types are all alike. Of course, I thought Mr. Barnes was better. I’m so disappointed in you. I guess you’re more like what those people in town say than I thought.”
Barnes’s brow rose. “And what do they say, Danielle?”
When that man wanted to freeze a person out she felt the cold. “It doesn’t matter. Good-bye.”
“Danielle!” He hadn’t moved from the couch, but she felt the will pouring off his body. “You will come back in this room, and you will stop behaving like a brat.”
She felt her eyes widen. No one had ever called her that. “Brat? You’re the one acting like a bully, Sir. I mean Mr. Lodge.”
She had to stop calling him that.
He moved gracefully off the couch, stalking to her. He towered over her, six foot two inches of pure intimidation. He invaded her space, and her heart started to thud in an unfamiliar rhythm. “You were right the first time, Danielle. Now I was willing to give you a pass because I believe it took courage for you to stand up the first time. I admire courage. But I explained that we weren’t attempting to hurt you. Can you tell me exactly how I’ve bullied you today? I didn’t force you into my car. You jumped in and refused to get out. I didn’t leave you on the side of the road. I brought you to the safest place I know. My friend gave you clothes. Please explain to me how we bullied you?”
Put like that, she wanted to crawl away and hide. But they’d said things. “You were talking about me like I wasn’t here.”
“I assure you I was well aware of your presence every second we’ve been here,” he said. “And like I said, Jackson was joking about me, not you. He’s a gentleman.”
Tears pricked her eyes. Had she been wrong?
Julian stared at her. “You will apologize to Jackson, and then we’re going to have a private talk.”
The front door opened suddenly.
“Damn, Jack, you missed a hell of a show. Dani finally got a lick of sense and motored
herself right out of that church. It was the best show this town has seen in a long time.”
Sam Fleetwood strode into the living room with a broad smile on his handsome face.
The wife he shared with Jack followed behind, though she was frowning. “We need to find her, Jack. She’s in trouble.”
Jack simply pointed.
Abby sighed. “Thank God. You scared us, Dani. Not that I don’t absolutely support your decision to not marry that man, but you shouldn’t have run away. You got into some stranger’s car. Anything could have happened to you. I’ve been so worried.”
Abby’s eyes moved between Dani and Julian, who, despite the addition of two new audience members, hadn’t once moved those cold eyes off her. Dani wanted to run, but she’d done enough of that for one day.
“Jack, what’s going on?” Abby put a hand on Jack’s arm, concern plain on her face. She started to walk toward Dani, but Jack held her back.
Sam threw his head back and laughed. “Can’t you tell, baby? Damn, Dani, of all the cars in the world you could have hopped into, you got into Julian Lodge’s. That man is a sub magnet. I’ve always said it.”
Julian growled a bit. “Your sarcasm is duly noted, Samuel. Now, may I have a moment alone with Danielle?”
“Are you sure about this?” Jack was holding Abby’s hand. He sent Sam a look that had the blond man getting serious all of a sudden. “If you aren’t, then I’ll take care of her. I can get her a job in another town and see that she’s all right.”
“Why does she need a new job?” Abby asked, her voice rising.
That scenario didn’t seem to satisfy Julian. “She doesn’t need a new job. She needs a new life. If you simply move her somewhere new, she’ll get in trouble again because she is untrained.”
“I’m not a dog, you jerk!” Her fists were clenched at her sides. Humiliation washed through her.
He turned quickly. “I didn’t say you were, Danielle. And, as I have been nothing but polite with you, I expect a modicum of courtesy. I understand that you have been through a lot today. I understand that you require some tenderness. None of that gives you the right to belittle me and our hosts.”
Tears were threatening again. She disliked him greatly in that moment. He made her feel like a child. “Then I wouldn’t want to force you to be around a brat. Like I said, I’ll get out of your hair.”
He ignored her. “I’ll deal with her, Jackson, and if you question my rights again, we shall have trouble.”
Jack’s mouth thinned, but he nodded.
“Jack, what’s going on?” Abby asked. She attempted to pull away.
“No. This is between Julian and Dani. Abigail, go to our bedroom now.”
“But Jack.”
Jack Barnes stared down at his wife, his face colder than Dani could ever remember it being. “I said now. Do you want to test me?”
“No, she doesn’t.” Sam slipped his hand into Abby’s. “Come on, baby. Let’s go check on the kids. Julian isn’t going to hurt your friend, and you know it. You also know exactly what she is and what she needs. We’ve talked about it before. It’s why you practically cheered when she ran away. Now she might figure a few things out. Don’t take that from her.”
Abby nodded, and with one last look Dani’s way, she walked out with Sam, leaving Dani alone with Jack and Julian.
Dani shuffled nervously, wondering exactly what Sam had meant and what she was supposed to figure out. Julian’s eyes were still on her.
“Do you have something to say, Danielle?”
“I want to leave. I want to go home.” She wanted to get away from him. The very fact that she felt a desperate need to apologize and do anything it took to get his approval made her want to flee in terror.
His jaw tightened, but then he took a step back. The iron will on his face turned to a mask of smooth indifference. “Of course. Do you have someone to call, or would you like me to drive you? If you feel uncomfortable with me, I am sure I can find someone else to take you wherever you would like to go.”
She didn’t like the way he looked through her as though she was something he’d already dismissed from his life. He was giving her what she wanted. He was being polite, nonthreatening, and utterly distant. She hated it. She had spent so much of her life feeling invisible, the thought of this man looking through her made her eyes water. She nodded, unable to speak.
His hand came out and slid over hers. The touch of his skin sent tingles across her whole body. “Don’t cry, Danielle. I promise I’ll make sure you get home. Jackson?”
He nodded, but she could sense his disappointment. “I can have one of the hands take her home. She knows Ricky and Tom. She should feel comfortable with them.”
Panic threatened again. Home? She’d moved all of her clothes and things into Jimbo’s house. She could go home to the house she grew up in, but Val was there. The thought of listening to her baby sister rage about how she’d screwed everything up was more than she could handle. And Finn could find her there. She couldn’t stand the thought of seeing pity on his face. She also couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing the man in front of her again. It was stupid. She’d just left her groom at the altar. She wasn’t in Julian Lodge’s league. She should have Ricky or Tom take her to the church, and she could figure out what to do from there. Her hand curled into Julian’s large one, and she shook her head. “Please let me stay the night.”
His mouth turned down. “That is up to Jackson.”
Jack watched the scene with his arms crossed over his solid chest. “I don’t think that’s what she’s asking.”
“Then she needs to have the courage to ask me for what she wants.” His foot tapped against the hardwood floor.
Dani swallowed as she looked up at Julian. His perfect face was staring down at her patiently. He was going to make her ask. “May I please stay the night?”
He stilled his foot and focused that intense attention on her. “You have to be clear, Danielle. Are you asking for a room for the night, or are you asking to spend the night in my bed?”
Damn him. Why did he have to put it like that? It was so blatant. And she wasn’t thinking that way. Well, she was, but she wouldn’t go through with it. She was insanely attracted to him. Any woman with eyes would want him. But she knew she wasn’t a sexual person. As much as she wanted him, she would only be disappointed in the end. “You’re safe from me, Mr. Lodge. I promise not to attack you. I’m not…interested in that kind of thing.”
That was a lie. She was beyond interested. She simply wasn’t any good at it. She lacked something. While she heard other women boast about their sex lives, Dani didn’t get it. She’d had three lovers her entire life and not one of them had managed to get her to that magical place other women talked about. After Jimbo failed, she had to wonder if the problem didn’t lie with her.
He snorted regally. His lips turned down in an expression of complete disbelief. “Really? You have no interest in sexual intercourse?”
“None. Consider yourself safe.”
“You have no interest in a man, a dominant man, bending you to his will? No interest in pleasing him? Let me tell you how it would go, little one. You would do it on your knees, on your back, however he wanted you. You would kneel before him and trust him to give you the discipline you require to come to orgasm. And you would come, Danielle. This man would make sure of it. You would come many times. He would train you to accept pleasure and that edge of pain that enhances it. He would train you to pleasure him, and in giving him pleasure, pleasing that part of you that needs to give. You would be tied up, tied down, forced to accept a crop’s sting across your flesh. He would bind your arms and legs and whip your backside when you displease him. You would learn to love the lash because it takes you someplace special, someplace where only a person like you can go. After, you would be worshipped, with his hands, his lips, his tongue, his cock. There is no piece of you this man wouldn’t claim. He would invade your pussy, your mouth, your tight little
ass. You would belong to him, and in exchange, he would protect you, cherish you for the gift you have given him. He would see to your comfort, your peace of mind. You have absolutely no interest in such a relationship?”
Her mouth had gone dry a long time ago. She forced herself to swallow. His words had gone straight to her pussy, and she shifted, feeling an odd softness at the juncture of her thighs. She should definitely run now, and she knew she wouldn’t. She’d spent twelve years giving to others. She’d given up her dreams for her sister. She’d been the doormat of Willow Fork. Today was about what she wanted. It wouldn’t last. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe that Julian Lodge would sweep into her two-stoplight town and carry her away. But, if he could make her feel something for a day or two, that would be worth it. The heartache would come, and strangely she welcomed that, too. It would mean that something had happened to her, something she chose.
“I would like to spend the night with you.”
A slow smile spread across his face, making her heart clench at the thought that she had put it there. “Excellent. I would enjoy that as well.”
“I thought you were on vacation.” Jack was shaking his head.
“Yes, and now I am taking a vacation from my celibacy.”
“Celibacy?” A distinct note of incredulity seeped into Jack’s tone.
“Later, Jackson. For now, Danielle and I need to work out her punishment.”
She forced herself to breathe. “Punishment?”
“Yes, you were rude to me and our hosts.”
She liked the way he said “our” far too much. She was getting in too deep and couldn’t seem to stop. There was one thing she was sure of. He hadn’t been teasing her. He seemed to really want to be with her sexually. She wasn’t sure why, but she wasn’t going to get stubborn now. And the truth was, she had been rude. “I am sorry, Sir.”
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