“Yeah, things will be fine. I got to take a ride in the back of a squad tonight.” I shrug, knowing there’s really no other way to explain it. “But I’m good now. Really.”
Tasha looks at the trio standing beside our booth. “Should we move to the corner booth?” Yeah, just what I want to do, have coffee with my shrink and my lawyer. Great idea, T.
We grab our coffee and follow the rest of the group to a huge booth in the corner. I’m pretty sure we could easily fit at least four more people without being overly crowded.
“So Jeff,” Tasha starts. “How do you know Dylan?” I love that she’s curious about the connection between the two men, if for no other reason than it means I’m not the only one in the dark here.
Jeff’s face turns a cute shade of pink. This has got to be good! No matter what I’ve thrown at him in our sessions, he has always taken it in stride. It’s fun to see him squirm. He looks over at me before responding.
“Well….” He’s hesitating, obviously not wanting to answer the question. “I…uh…”
“For fuck’s sake, would you spit it out already?” I grumble. “You never have any problem talking any other time. Why are you going to clam up now?”
I swallow hard, feeling as if I just lashed out at the principal in school. My shoulders slump forward, eyes moving back to the table. Shit.
“Because I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, Holly,” he admits.
“Doc, have you been listening to the shit I’ve told you? I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for you to tell me anything that will upset me.”
He shakes his head. “This isn’t like that. This is one of those things you’ll never unlearn once I say it and I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about me being your therapist if you find out.”
“Jesus H, doc! The only thing you’re doing right now is pissing me off. Aren’t you the one who told Tommy and Tasha last week that they needed to stop coddling me? That it won’t help me learn to cope?”
He looks surprised to hear that I have been listening to what he says. Good. I like keeping people on their toes.
“Fine, but you’ve been warned. And if you’re not cool, you need to let me know and we’ll assign you to a different therapist.” I nod when he looks up at me, letting him know I understand. “I just met Dylan tonight. I was at Marquee and he came up to me and we got to talking. I told him I was new to town and he told me to come down here if I wanted to meet some like-minded people.”
Holy. Fuck.
“So, you mean, like, you were there dancing?” I ask, praying he’s not saying what I think he’s saying. The only problem I have with his revelation is the fact that my mind is thinking of all the kinky fun I could have with this man. If he wasn’t my doctor. And if his name was Tommy and his eyes were the color of warm honey instead of icy waters. Oh, I’m so totally screwed!
“Uh, no,” he says uncomfortably. “I was toward the back of the building.”
Zeke busts out laughing. We all turn to look at him, wondering what is so funny. “So you mean to tell me that of all the therapists out there, they managed to find Holly a Domly doctor?”
I glare at him, not seeing nearly as much humor in the situation as he does. “Pretty much,” Jeff confirms. “Forgive me if I’m out of line, but I’m going to take a chance since I’m not on the clock, but I think it’s exactly what she needs.”
Tasha, Zeke and Jeff all start howling with laughter. I glare at my best friend, the traitor. “What in the hell is up with everyone thinking I’m a sub?” I whine. “I don’t bow to the wishes of anyone but me. Maybe that’s part of the problem; no one understands me.”
“Oh, I think you’re wrong,” Zeke says without a trace of humor. “I think the problem is that you’re so wrapped up in what you think that you can’t see reality.”
Great, so now I’m delusional? When did this turn into ‘pick on Holly night’?
I walk into the diner ready to rip Mary a new ass. She’s sitting here having coffee and couldn’t be bothered to send a simple text message? Fuck that.
“Mary,” I snap as soon as I see her sitting at the edge of the corner booth. I don’t give a shit if I’m causing a scene. I want to know what in the hell is going on. “What the--”
I freeze in place, causing Dylan to run into my back. As I stumble forward, I’m incapable of speaking. I can’t believe she’s sitting there. “Hey, Tommy,” she says innocently, standing from the booth to let Tasha out to greet Dylan. “Surprise!”
“You can fucking say that again,” I sigh, glancing at Mary. The smug grin on her face says she’s not fooled by my ‘just helping a friend’ excuse earlier tonight.
At this point, I don’t give a shit who knows that I’m starting to have feelings for Holly. After the night we’ve had, I want to pull her out of the diner and take her home. I want to hear all the details about what happened at the precinct and how in the hell she managed to get out without even a night in jail.
The peanut gallery comes to life as I pull her body close to mine, burying my face in her neck. Screw taking things slow. I’m going to show Holly exactly where I see things leading between us. “I’ve missed you,” I whisper in her ear, causing her to shiver.
“It’s only been a few hours,” she laughs, sliding her arms around my neck. Holding her feels as natural as breathing. “But I missed you too,” she admits.
“You two want to get a room?” Zeke interrupts. I look over and see him sitting between Mary and Jeff. I toss a crumpled napkin in his direction and motion Holly to take a seat. I smile when not only does she sit without resisting me, but she also gives me a half-smile as her eyes lower.
“Screw you, Zeke. You’re just pissed that you’re going home alone tonight and I’m not,” I taunt.
Dylan’s shaking his head in the back of the booth. He doesn’t approve of whatever this is blossoming between Holly and me but I really don’t care. That short time away from her made me realize that life’s too short to worry about what other people think. Tasha leans over and his clenched jaw eases with whatever words she whispers in his ear. He’s so whipped that it’s not even funny.
After nearly an hour of mundane conversation, I stand, pulling Holly with me. “We need to talk,” I inform her as well as the rest of the group. I lead her to an empty section of the restaurant, unable to wait any longer to hear what happened.
Instead of sitting across the table from her, I sit and pat my lap, inviting her to sit with me. I’m expecting her to refuse, but she settles on top of my legs, shifting around just enough to bring my neglected cock to life. She leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder. Again, it’s a move that feels completely natural.
“You want to tell me what happened?” I ask, needing to know but not willing to demand answers. This isn’t a power exchange, it’s two people navigating rough seas in many ways. Friendship. Intimacy. Personal issues.
She sighs, nuzzling deeper into my body. I love that she feels comfort here. “Not really much to tell. If I testify against Nick, they’re going to grant me immunity. So, I told them what happened and signed some paperwork and now I’m here. End of story.”
“Are you okay with that?” I worry that she’s once again bottling up her emotions, which could easily take her to a dangerous place.
“Yeah, I think I am. In some ways, it feels like I’m getting off easy for what I did,” she admits to me, her body becoming rigid in my arms. The guilt is something I’m not sure she’ll ever get past, and no amount of time in jail is going to change that. If anything, it will eat away at her even more if she has uninterrupted time to think about it.
“You’re not getting off easy, Holly,” I assure her. “First of all, you have to look at Tasha almost every day, knowing what happened.”
“Gee, thanks for that reminder. For a minute, I almost forgot,” she interrupts me. I swat her thigh, just hard enough to sting.
“Let me finish,” I warn her. “It takes a crazy amount of strength to do t
hat. And you’re a very blessed woman, because not only did Tasha not turn her back on you, she’s fighting for you every step of the way. And, God help me, she’s pulled me into that battle as well.”
I brush a stray hair away from her face. Most of it is still restrained in the low ponytail I pulled it into earlier in the night. If it weren’t for the fact that I don’t have my car here, I would have her back home, sitting in front of the fire for this conversation. And then, just maybe, on the floor in front of the fireplace, exploring every inch of her skin, kissing every petal of every flower covering her right arm.
She looks at me, confused. For a moment, I regret opening my mouth, but she needs to know where I’m at. She needs to know what she does to me. And I need to know if I’m imagining things, or if I do the same things to her.
“What do you mean?” she asks breathlessly. Oh yeah, I’m definitely affecting her.
“Holly, I’m going to tell you something, but you need to promise to hear me out. Can you do that?” I’ve had frank discussions like this in the past with subs, but they were just that. Submissives I could have a good time with, sometimes even have a real relationship with, but it’s different with Holly. With her, I’m starting to want things I’ve never wanted before. It’s terrifying.
She nods, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on my cheek. “You can tell me anything, Tommy.”
“I like you,” I say, sounding like a twelve-year-old boy talking to a girl for the first time.
Holly giggles, running her fingers over my t-shirt. “I like you too.”
“Look, this is hard for me,” I say, grabbing her hand. As amazing as it feels to have her nails scraping against my skin through the shirt, I need to concentrate and she’s making that nearly impossible. “When you were in a coma, I sat there every day, praying that you would get better. As the days went on, you became an addiction to me. I would wake up in the morning and race to get ready so I could sit in the chair next to you.”
“Why are you telling me this?” she asks.
“Because you need to know,” I sigh. “You need to know that what I’m feeling isn’t pity. I’m learning how your mind works and I don’t want you to ever think that what I’m about to do is because I feel sorry for you. Before you woke up, I found myself drawn to you in a way I can’t explain. Since then, I’ve grown to admire you. You’re strong and fiercely independent. You’re brave, even when you’re paralyzed by fear on the inside. And that is why I have to do this.”
I stop talking, lifting her so she’s now facing me. I cup both sides of her face, pulling her lips down until they meet mine. When her lips part, I resist the urge to dip my tongue into her mouth, despite the fact that my body craves her taste like a drug. Instead, I scrape my teeth across her lower lip, repeatedly nipping, drawing the skin into my mouth.
Her body reacts above mine. Her taut nipples press against my chest; her hips grind against my swollen cock. “Tommy,” she moans against my mouth. “I need you.”
It physically hurts to put distance between our bodies. I’ve spent so much time focusing on work that it’s been over six months since I’ve had any sort of intimacy with a woman. Hearing her beg me to take her sets every nerve in my body on fire. Tonight, she’ll get exactly what she wants, but not here. Not in the back dining room of a restaurant.
“Zeke, give me your keys,” I say firmly as I all but drag Holly through the dining room.
Everyone gapes at the sight of us, both flushed and obviously aroused. Jeff looks concerned, as if he wants to say something but is holding back. I almost feel bad for the guy; he’s obviously having a good time with everyone and is worried he’ll cross the line if he says what’s on his mind.
“What does Tasha keep telling us?” Zeke jokes, winking at our friend’s girl. “You’ll get further if you ask than you will if you demand. Now, would you like to try again?”
“Nope. I need your keys.” I’m not in the mood for his games. We need to get home before one or both of us changes our mind. “You can ride home with Dylan and we’ll bring the Jeep back to you in the morning.”
Without further discussion, Zeke reaches in his pocket and tosses the keys to me. Holly pulls her hand out of mine to go say goodbye to Tasha. Watching her, it’s almost as if she’s beginning to find some peace now that she knows her fate regarding everything that happened.
Jeff stands and taps me on the shoulder as he walks past. I gently squeeze Holly’s arm before following him. She nods and turns back to her conversation.
“What’s up?” I ask once we’re out of earshot.
“Look, it’s not my place to say this, but you need to be careful with her. She’s still in a very fragile place and if you’re toying with her, it’s going to crush her,” Jeff warns me. I appreciate his concern and respect him even more for speaking up even though he could probably get in trouble for discussing a patient outside of the office.
“Jeff, while I appreciate your vigilance, you need to know that’s the furthest thing from my mind. You know I’m committed to helping her. I have been since the moment I saw her on the ground. I’m not going to do anything to hurt her.”
“Okay, then I have to ask,” he starts, stopping when someone walks past. “Are you doing this because you like her or because you feel like you have to?” His tone is more accusatory now and I’m getting pissed.
“You seriously fucking think that?” My voice grows louder and I can feel the vein in my temple throbbing. If this were a different time and a different place, Jeff’s ass would be on the ground for being so fucking stupid. “I’ve tried and tried to stay away from her. I don’t want to like her but I do. I know what a shitty time this is for her to get into anything. But guess what, it didn’t fucking work. So now, I just have to hope for the fucking best.”
Jeff assesses me, likely trying to figure out if I’m full of shit. “I can respect that. I’m sorry, but I see something amazing in Holly and we’re working hard to get her to see it as well. I don’t want that potential pulverized.”
We shake hands, both seeming calmer now that we know we’re on the same page.
I swallow hard as Tommy helps me into the Jeep. My skin tingles under his touch, a contrast of the frigid night and the searing attraction I feel for this man. Tasha’s advice plays on repeat in my mind as he walks around to the driver’s side door.
“I know you don’t believe this, but you deserve it. He’s a good man and, if you let him, I know he’ll treat you right.”
She’s right. I don’t believe I deserve the butterflies I feel in my stomach when he looks at me with lustful eyes. The pulsing between my legs when he touches me. The kindness in his touch. But I’m going to heed her advice and let him take the lead.
“Are you having second thoughts?” he asks me as the engine comes to life. While we wait for it to warm, he turns to face me, reaching to take my hands in his. “I promise, if you want to stop, we’ll stop. I won’t be mad and it won’t change anything at home.”
That’s where he’s wrong. I have no doubt that, one way or another, everything is going to change at his house. “How can you say that?”
“What?” I’m uncomfortable with the way he looks at me. It’s not sexual hunger I see; it’s need and concern. “Do you think I’ll be mad if you don’t have sex with me tonight?”
“No, I don’t believe that. I just don’t see how things will be the same if we do this. Or if we don’t. No matter what, you have to admit things are going to change.”
Before I can continue, Tommy leans across the seat and seals his mouth over mine. Thousands of words are spoken in the way his hand slides behind the nape of my neck, the way our tongues tangle, and the fervency with which we try to devour one another. By the time we pull apart, both of us are taking quick, shallow breaths, trying to calm down enough to make it home.
Unexpected Protector (Isthmus Alliance) Page 10