by Rose Nickol
Sitting in the car, she felt helpless but didn’t know what else to do. She would be of little assistance to Gavin if she got out and feared getting in the way. Wrapping her arms around herself, she watched helplessly and prayed Gavin would be all right.
Even though she hadn’t known him very long, she felt there was something more there. It wasn’t that he was handsome, strong, and kind. She felt an attraction to him like she had never felt to any man. It wasn’t just sexual but something deeper He pulled at her heart. Every time he looked at her, a piece of her melted away. He could be very dangerous to her. This man could steal her heart forever.
The radio crackled to life again. Shelby jumped as units responded to Gavin’s call for assistance. She turned quickly to see what was going on, but Gavin had been swallowed by the crowd and was out of sight. She grabbed for the door handle to get out, remembering they were locked. She could do nothing but watch and wait.
Time seemed to crawl as Shelby sat there waiting. It seemed like forever before she saw several more police cars arrive. The crowd had grown even larger. There were now what looked to be fifty people in the group, and she couldn’t see Gavin.
The other police cars arrived, sounding their sirens, and the crowd began to break up. Shelby watched intently waiting for some sign of Gavin, worrying he might have been hurt. She didn’t know what she would do if something had happened to him.
It wasn’t long before she saw him talking to one of the other officers. They slapped each other on the back. Then Gavin walked quickly toward the car she was sitting in. Shelby let out a sigh of relief.
Sitting back and trying to look relaxed, she didn’t want him to realize how anxious she had been. Gavin opened the door with a big smile on his face.
“Are you okay?” she asked nervously, unable to help herself.
“Sure, darling, all in a day’s work. Come on. Let’s get the rest of your stuff. The tow truck is here.”
They quickly moved the remainder of her things to his trunk. He put Shelby back in the car while he talked to the tow-truck driver. Before she knew it, he was back and they were leaving the truck stop.
Shelby briefly wondered where this next step would take her life but decided not to let it bother her. She couldn’t change it anyway.
Chapter Two
Gavin looked at the girl sitting next to him as he drove to his home. How lucky he was to find her—now to get her in his bed and playroom. She seemed interested in him by the looks she kept sneaking his way while trying to gaze uncaringly out the window. He wondered how interested she was.
They pulled into the garage and Shelby looked over at Gavin. So this was it after she was settled in the house she would have no reason to be near him anymore. She’d have to see what she could do about that.
Gavin got out of the car, walked around to Shelby’s side, and opened her door. “Come on. I’ll show you the house and your room. Then I’ll come back and get your stuff. Is there anything you want to take now?”
Gavin opened the trunk, and Shelby grabbed a box of clothes, she really wanted a shower and to change. Maybe she could do that while he was carrying things in.
Gavin’s house was nice, and her room was larger than she expected it to be. As promised, it had a bathroom with a tub and shower attached.
Shelby looked at the tub longingly, wondering if she dare. The door locked, and she was sure Gavin wouldn’t come in. What could it hurt? After grabbing some clean clothes, she went back in the bathroom and started the tub filling. Making doubly sure the door was locked, she quickly stripped, then lowered herself into the steaming water, laid her head back, and closed her eyes. Luxury. Even at the apartment with Linda, there never seemed to be time to take a hot bath. She couldn’t stay here long, but a few minutes would be wonderful.
Gavin decided to carry Shelby’s things into the laundry room, then up the stairs. Starting up the stairs with boxes, he could hear the bath running and was glad Shelby was making herself comfortable. He hoped she would make her home with him one day. He just needed to figure out how he was going to accomplish it. He set her boxes outside her room. Soon she would be in his room, he hoped.
As he carried the boxes into her room, he gazed at the locked door at the end of the hall, the one room he hadn’t shown her when he brought her up. That room was his playroom, and although he had put a lot of work into it, he had never taken anyone except his best friend, Mike O’Brien to see it. Mike had a similar, less-equipped playroom in his basement. After seeing Gavin’s, Mike wanted his own, so Gavin had helped him put his playroom together. Soon he hoped Shelby would play with him. He had no idea if she was receptive to his way of life, but he was going to find out.
After setting the last of the boxes outside of her door, he knocked. He didn’t just want to walk in on her. Giving it a few seconds he turned the knob and stuck his head in. “Shelby I’m bringing in the boxes now.” He heard a muffled sound from the bathroom and hoped it was her saying, “Okay.”
He carried the lighter boxes first. The last one probably held books or something, as heavy as it was. It dropped on the floor and burst open. One of the books jumped out. Bending to pick it up, he noticed the title Her Unique Submission. Could this be about what he thought it was about?
He settled the rest of the books in the box, and seeing similar titles, he took the book and sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through the pages, stopping to read some here and there. It was the type of book he had assumed it was, but it was terrible, and he felt like laughing at parts. Whoever had written this had never known a Dom, or a sub for that matter. The heroine was way too outgoing to ever be a sub, and the Dom was a wimp. Some of the things he let the sub get away with would never happen with a real Dom. The sex scenes were hot but, again, not very realistic. He had a lot of work to do if this represented her conceptions of the lifestyle.
Shelby heard Gavin call out, answered him, and hurried out of the tub. After quickly drying herself and dressing, she wrapped her hair in a towel and tidied the room before opening the door. She didn’t expect to see Gavin sitting on her bed reading one of her books.
Wait, he was reading one of her books. Oh shit! What would he think of her? As she watched as he smiled. Was he laughing at the book? Curious, she stood in the doorway and watched a few more minutes. Did he think the book was funny?
Looking up, he saw her and patted the bed, indicating for her to sit beside him. Pulling the towel off her head and shaking her hair out, she walked barefoot to the bed, then sat on the edge. She had put on her sweats and a camisole top after her bath, thinking that since it was late, she would just go to bed and read. She hadn’t expected to find Gavin in her room. Sitting cautiously on the side of the bed, carefully making sure to leave several inches between then, she folded the towel she still held for something to do with her hands. Gavin looked at her and frowned, again patting the bed beside him silently asking her to scoot closer.
Shelby moved maybe an inch and wrapped her arms around herself. “Thanks again for letting me stay, and thanks for bringing all my stuff up. I could have helped with that.”
She smiled and laid one hand on his leg just above his knee. Gavin smiled back at her and next thing she knew he was sitting right next to her so they were touching from hip to knee. He still held the book, open to the page he had been reading, in one hand.
“It fell out of the box,” he explained, flipping the page on the book as he went back to reading.
Shelby nodded and tried to look anywhere but at him. How embarrassing to have him reading that book. She hadn’t read the entire book, but she knew what it was about and could imagine acting out some of the scenes with him. He seemed so interested in the book, and he was paying little attention to her. Shelby hugged herself tighter and watched him.
Suddenly he chuckled and put the book down on his other side. He grasped her chin with one hand and turned her face to him. He leaned in close, so close they were almost touching he gazed into her eyes.
Shelby looked down and shook her head no in answer to his questions, trying to look anywhere but his eyes. Gavin lifted her chin again so she had no choice but to look at him.
“We will explore this together.” He gently brushed her lips with his, then stood and walked to the door. “Good night, sweet angel. Tomorrow,” he said, walking out the door and closing it.
Shelby lay back on the bed, wondering what he meant. Could it be he was into doing things they did in the book? She reached over and turned on the bedside light, then retrieved the book from where he had left it on the bed. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. Soon she sneaked her hand between her legs as she pictured doing some of the things described in the book with Gavin. This is how she fell asleep.
Gavin went to the room at the end of the hall after leaving Shelby’s room. As he stood looking at all the equipment he had chosen but never used, he thought about Shelby. The book she was reading was so unreal that it was ridiculous, but it did show she was interested in the lifestyle. Now it was up to him to clear up all the misconceptions she had and teach her the right way. This was going to be so much fun.
Chapter Three
Shelby woke the next morning to the smell of bacon and coffee. After running a brush through her hair and quickly brushing her teeth she skipped down the stairs. Her night had been filled with dreams of Gavin and the things he would do with and to her. The books she had been reading may not be accurate, but they were more than enough to fuel the imagination. And she had an excellent imagination.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs she had a good view of the kitchen. Gavin was wearing jeans, only jeans. His chest was bare as were his feet. How could she be turned on by his feet? He was one sexy package. She couldn’t quite hear him but could tell he was humming a tune. Quietly, to not disturb him and so she could watch more, she walked slowly into the kitchen, smiling as she approached him.
“Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep? I feel like a million today.”
“Hi,” she said shyly, not sure how to answer him.
“Sit. Eat. I have bacon, eggs, and toast. Then we will get your car taken care of. I’ve already called O’Brien, and he’ll be here soon to look at it. Eat!”
Okay, Shelby thought, I’ll eat. She sat adding cream and sugar to her coffee and quickly tasting it. The eggs were good. He had scrambled them and added peppers and onions with cheese. It wasn’t long before her plate was empty and she was full, for the second time in days. She wasn’t going to think about her circumstances right now. Now she was going to enjoy being with this hunk of a man. She stood to clear the plates, and Gavin pushed her back down.
“I’ll get it. You can cook lunch and clean up after. Deal?”
Shelby nodded and sat back to finish her coffee. Gavin offered the pot for a warm-up, and she shook her head.
“That outfit is cute, but unless you want to meet O’Brien in it, you had better change,” Gavin reminded her.
She sprinted up the stairs to shower and change. Quickly doing what she needed, she braided her hair in two pigtails rather than drying it. She put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before slipping into socks and tennis shoes.
Skipping down the stairs she looked for Gavin, not seeing him and not hearing any voices, she ventured to the garage. She heard the murmur of voices and walked toward the men looking at her car, its hood lifted.
“And see here. Somebody fixed this with duct tape, and here, too.”
The man she assumed to be O’Brien pointed to several areas in her car and shaking his head. She could see the dollar signs rolling.
“For now we can do a battery, but I’m afraid it’s more. Let’s tow it to my garage, and I’ll have the boys do a total overhaul. It’s either that or junk it. I’m afraid at this point it’ll cost more to fix it than it’s worth. Best bet is to look for a good used car for your gal.”
“Now wait a minute I know she’s old, but she’s been reliable all these years, and I don’t know that I’m ready to junk her yet,” Shelby spoke up, leaning into the car between the men.
Gavin slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side in a possessive gesture. Then he introduced her to Mike O’Brien. Mike was a very tall, very beefy man. His arms were covered with tattoos, and she could see some in the neck of his shirt. His head was bald, and he had the bluest eyes. He was very attractive. She melted a little at his smile. When Shelby shook his hand, she felt herself getting wet. Trying to ignore it, she turned back to her car. Mike pointed out several more problems and explained what he thought needed to happen. How could she be attracted to both these men?
Gavin kept his arm around her and pulled her even closer. Running a hand through his hair, Gavin looked at Mike.
“Tow it to the garage and put the repairs on my account. If it’s too bad, let me know. I’ll decide from there.”
Shelby started to protest, but with one look from Gavin she snapped her mouth shut. His arm still around her, he steered her toward the house and pushed her inside.
“I’ll be there in just a minute, darling. Let me walk Mike out.” He closed the door firmly.
Shelby wandered into the living room, hoping he wouldn’t be long. She folded her legs under her and sat on the couch grabbing a magazine to read, not even looking to see what it was. Flipping through the pages absently, she thought of Gavin and Mike and of what their touch did to her. She had never before been affected by a man the way each affected her. How could she have these feelings for two men, and what was she going to do about it? She wasn’t a virgin but had little experience, one boy in high school. Then she got involved with the wrong crowd and ended up moving, never dating anyone on a regular basis. She hadn’t had sex with anyone since she moved to Minnesota. She had been too busy looking for work.
She heard Gavin come back in the house and call for her. She answered where she was and put the magazine down. As she went to stand, Gavin pushed her down and sat beside her. He gave her more details on her car and asked if she needed anything.
Just a job, she thought.
As if he could read her mind he then said, “I may know of a job. Mike needs someone to answer phones and greet customers at the garage while he and the guys work. I think you would be ordering parts, too. Are you interested?”
Shelby jumped up and threw her arms around him, then took off running for the garage, hoping to catch Mike and thank him. Gavin grabbed her hand, stopped her, and pulled her up against him again.
“Don’t I deserve a kiss for getting you a job?” he asked in a husky voice.
Shelby reached up to brush his lips with hers, and he threaded his hands in the back of her hair and muttered against her mouth, “Oh no. That’s not going to cut it.”
He took over the kiss, first brushing her mouth gently with his, then slowly parting her lips he ran his tongue gently around the outside of her lips before pressing to open her mouth. She parted her lips slightly, and he slipped his tongue inside, using his hand in her hair to tilt her head to the angle he wanted. Shelby had no control. Gavin was in total command of the kiss, and all she could do was take it.
Gavin continued the kiss, one hand in her hair and the other on the small of her back. He slipped his tongue over hers, tempting her to follow his lead. Their tongues wrestled for a few, and before Shelby knew what was happening she found herself laying on her back on the couch, Gavin crouching over her.
“Say yes, baby. Say yes,” he implored her, his mouth leaving hers long enough to rain kisses over her eyes and throat. Taking both her hands in one of his, he lifted her arms over her head while he pushed up her T-shirt with his other hand. “Say yes.”
What was she saying yes to? What was the question? She couldn’t think.
He leaned down and brushed her navel with his mouth, then worked his way up to her breast, still covered with her shirt and bra. Palming the soft globe,
he looked into her eyes. “Say yes.”
Shelby bit her lip and nodded. At this point, she didn’t care what he was asking the answer was yes.
“Say it.” He leaned down and took her mouth again, slipping his tongue between her lips.
“Yes,” she breathed against his lips.
The minute the word came out of her mouth, he became more intense. “Oh, baby, yes it is.” He turned her to straddle him. “Wrap your legs around me and hold on.”
He picked her up and carried her up the stairs, eying the room at the end of the hall and knowing it was too soon for that. Turning to the room across the hall from hers, he took her to his room, kissing her the entire time. He kicked the door open with his foot and carried her to the bed, where he sat on the side with her straddling him.
“Lift your arms, baby,” he said pulling her shirt over her head, kissing the skin as he exposed it. “Oh yes, baby, yes,” he said against her as he explored.
Once again, Shelby was lying on her back with her hands over her head. Gavin was straddling her and had released the front fastening of her bra, exposing her breasts to his gaze, fingers, and mouth. Still kissing her, he kneaded her breast with one hand and plucked her nipple with his fingertips.
“So beautiful. Oh yes, baby,” he crooned, continuing to pluck her nipples, pulling and elongating the little buds, stretching them. He kissed her again, then nibbled his way down to her breasts, where he resumed the attack with his mouth, licking, sucking, and pulling at them with his teeth. “Yes, baby,” he said against her.
“Yes,” she breathed. My God what he was doing to her. Her hips rose up and down off the bed almost as if pulled by his mouth on her breasts. She had no control over her body.
Gavin slipped his hand to the fastening on her jeans, slipped his fingers under her waistband, and rested them there. “Yes, baby?” he asked again, wanting her to know what she was saying yes to.