by Yvette Hines
“It looks good on you. Keep it.” He stepped toward her and cupped her face. “I’ve thought about you a lot over the last couple days.”
She stood there for a moment, absorbing his touch and the warmth of his hand. Then she gave herself a mental shake and stepped back. “Did you set this up?”
His brows pinched into a frown. “Set what up? Following you outside?”
“No.” She waved a hand toward the house. “This…the party.”
“If I would have known how to contact you…maybe. But, this is all Alesha. My sister loves throwing parties since she was small. Tea parties, Easter parties, Christmas… doesn’t matter the holiday.”
“I guess you told her about us?” She glanced over at him.
He took a step closer to her, shielding her from the soft night wind. “Alesha found out that I went by Strong Blends the next day around noon. Thanks to Brian.”
The next day. That didn’t make since. That was over a week ago when she’d kneeled before him. She faced him. “You came to my job?”
His frown deepened. “You work at the coffee shop?”
Damn, he didn’t know. “Yes. I even worked the next morning, early morning prep.” She rubbed her forehead, a few hours earlier and he would have seen her. And what? She asked herself. However she didn’t know. The connection she had with this man scared her.
“I missed you. I don’t even know why I was there.”
“How much have you told your sister about us?” She liked Butterfly, she didn’t want the other woman to think she was some kind of slut. It was bad enough everyone thought she was hopeless in the sticking with a Dom department.
“Nothing else.” He placed a hand on her back, his thumb stroking her skin through his shirt. “Anything else that is between us is our business.”
His touch was making her body ache; sexually and emotionally. Her heart beat hard in her chest.
“You should go back inside, Brad. You shouldn’t have followed me out here.” She moved toward the steps that led to the lawn. It was imperative that she get away from him, this man was dangerous to her heart and mind.
“Come back in with me. I’m not leaving you out here in the cold.”
“Why? There’s nothing bet—ween us.” Her voice broke and her head was beginning to pound with so much thoughts and emotions bombarding her.
“The hell there isn’t.” He closed the distance again and took hold of her shoulders. “I’m starting to care pretty deeply for you.”
“And what? What? You can’t be what I need.” She felt the heat of tears rolling down her face. She was pissed that she was crying, she abhorred crying over relationships. Or lack of one as it was between her and Brad.
“What is it that you need, Gabriella?”
A Dom. A lover. A friend. She stared into his intense dark eyes. Only if, her heart sighed.
The laughter and music from inside changing to a lively version of Santa Clause is Coming to Town broke into her thoughts.
“It doesn’t matter.” She pulled away. “I need to get Jennifer and her Dom and see if they’re ready to go.” She hated pulling her friend away from the festivities, but she didn’t feel a part of the jovial atmosphere.
“If you’re ready to go, I’ll take you.”
“Why?” She squinted, eyeing him suspiciously.
“There’s no need to end Pepper’s evening so soon.” Lifting his hand, he slowly caressed the side of her face with a finger.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” It was most likely a bad idea considering how drawn to this man she was already. The last thing she needed was to develop stronger feelings for him; it would be two easy to fall. Then where would she be when he returned home to Baltimore.
“Please. I just want to know you got home safe.”
Against her better judgment she agreed. “Great.”
Guiding her to the door, he slid it open and allowed her to enter first.
Moments later, she had pulled Jennifer and Meyo aside and let them know she was going home because she had a migraine. Which wasn’t far off from the truth, her head was throbbing. They had originally insisted they were leaving also, but she had pleaded with them to remain.
Brad had step forth at that moment and insured Meyo he would see her home safely.
Next, Brad escorted her to his sister, where Gabriella was about to hug her hostess and thank her for the invitation. Unlike Meyo and Jennifer, Alesha didn’t appear shocked or bothered that one of her brothers was leaving the party.
“We must get together one day soon.” Butterfly hugged her.
“Maybe after I get back from my parents house.” Gabriella stepped out of the other woman’s embrace.
“Oh, when are you leaving?” Now, her features showed concern.
“Christmas Eve. I’ll only be gone for a few days.” Gabriella felt the tension in the man’s body beside her, but ignored Brad.
“Okay, I’ll contact you then.”
“Perfect,” Gabriella agreed.
“Alesha, I’m grabbing your car keys. That way if things get to much for Brian he can get back to the hotel.”
“Fine.” Stepping over, Alesha kissed Brad on the cheek. “We have Master Mustang’s truck and Master Ursus’s car we can make do.”
“Thanks.”
It took them less than five minutes for them to be heading out the front door with both their coats on.
Gabriella slid into the leather seat of Alesha’s luxury sedan as Brad held the door open for her. Closing it, she waited while he walked around to the driver side and wondered. She’d been doing too often, if she was making the right decision. Allowing herself more time around Brad was only prolonging the inevitable—them saying good-bye for good.
~YH~
Thirty minutes later, after a comfortable drive with nothing but the sound of holiday jazz music playing in the car, and the occasional direction from Gabriella, Brad pulled into her apartment complex.
During the silence, he had taken her hand, held it in his own. He’d been grateful when she didn’t put up a fuse or remove it.
Now, they sat there in the darkened interior of the car. He shut off his headlights not wanting to shine them into one of her neighbor’s windows. He wanted say something to her, prolong the moment. This was it for them, he knew it. There was no other reason for them to be in contact, no matter how much he wanted it, desired her.
Holding her smaller hand, he stroked the back of it with his thumb enjoying the satin feel of her skin. His gut clenched tight and his heart thudded hard in his chest, with the thought of ending things with the beautiful, vivacious woman. It had to be done. There was too much space and distance between them—more emotional than miles.
“If you want to wait, I can go change and return your shirt to you.” Her fingers flexed in his, but she didn’t attempt to remove them.
He gazed at her face in the dim light. Her make-up was more subdued. She still wore the bright red lipstick, something that seemed her trade mark, but her hair was pulled back into a simple bun. He almost missed her normal retro appearance.
“I’d prefer you keep the shirt. You know…something to remember me.”
She glanced from the front window to him. “There’s not anything about you, Brad, that I will forget.”
“Good to know.” He wanted to pull her close, kiss her, just taste those succulent, full lips one last time.
She leaned toward him as if she had been thinking the same thing, but she moved away, inhaled through her nose loudly and took her hand from his. “I need to go.”
“May I walk you to your door?”
Shaking her head, she said in a low voice, “No. It’s hard enough from here. The walk alone will clear my head.”
He understood what she was saying. However, he didn’t have to like it.
“I’ll wait until you get into your place.” It appeared to be a safe enough area, but would take any chances.
“Thanks.” One final glance and
then she was out of the car and walking down a pathway passed the first set of apartments, onto a back building.
The lights were so dim where she was walking; he kept the lights to the car off so he could see her. Getting ready to switch on the lights and pull out of his temporary space, he caught a shadow in the distance and stopped.
chapter eight
Gabriella felt as if her mind would never stop running with questions and thoughts surrounding Brad. It was useless for her to continue to debate with herself over the man. She’d been correct at his hotel and at the party, there was nothing for them to pursue. It didn’t matter that her feelings were already invested or how much she wanted him to be more than he was. Or for what she needed to be different, it wasn’t going to happen.
She’d tried vanilla relationships and they never gave her what she needed—to be a true submissive. Tonight that was even more apparent to her as she watched her friends and their Doms and Masters cater to them. Care for them. How her friends seemed to bask in a joyous glow in submitting to those over them. She wanted that for herself. Tonight she’d seen how wrong she had been in keeping her two lives separate. A boyfriend on one side and a Dom on the other.
They had to be one.
Too bad it can’t be the one you want.
Disconcerted, she exhaled and removed her keys from her coat pocket as she moved along the last few steps to her door.
“China Doll, you disappointed me.”
Someone stepped out of the shadow of trees by her building and grabbed her arm, slamming her back against the wall.
She stifled a scream from the sharp pain of hitting the hard surface and looked up into the angry face of Reel. “Reel. How did you find out where I live?”
He sneered at her. “You thought to get away from me. I followed you from your job. Several times waiting for just the right moment.”
Oh, hell. How many nights had she thought she was safe in her bed while he was lurking around her complex?
“Why? You could take on a new sub more to your liking. What are you doing here, Sir?”
“You bitch, now you want to Sir me. After you treated me like shit before everyone in the community.” He stared down at her from eyes that were venomous slits, more narrow than his Malaysian genetics normally shaped them.
The vise grip he had on her made it impossible for her to move away. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“You did!” He growled his mouth held an angry twist as he shook her, knocking her against the bricks again. “For some other Dom.”
She didn’t think this was the moment to correct his assumption on Brad’s role in the lifestyle. No fool, she realized it was better for her that Reel believed she had another Dom in her life. Even if it wasn’t true.
Why did I send Brad away?
“I asked you to free me. It wasn’t working out for us.” She knew it didn’t make since to try and rationalize with an insane man, but wanted to keep him talking until she could figured out how to get him to leave or break loose.
“I owned you. You think you could walk away from me?”
Owned me? No one owned her. “Submission is a choice made by the sub.” She was pissed now. She’d defended this man to others. Felt sorry because the loss of his wife. But, she wouldn’t be anyone’s lap dog.
She slammed the spike of her heel into the arch of his foot as she twisted her body away. She didn’t get but a step or two away when she felt him grab her bun and jerk her head back.
Screaming, she balled her fist so that her keys stuck out between her fingers like claws. Shifting back to him, she started swinging and jabbing at any area she could hit.
“You dare preach the lifestyle to me?” His voice crackled with rage as deflected most of her blows and grunted when she made contact.
“How about I dare to beat your mother fucking ass if you don’t let her go.”
Reel’s hand didn’t slacken as he turned to the person behind them that had spoken.
She didn’t have to see the owner of the compelling and threatening voice, she knew who her knight in shine armor was—Brad.
From where she struggled against Reel, she caught a glimpse of Brad, tall and broad with his fist balled looking like an avenging angel.
“Yooou…” Reel’s features twisted in scorn as he stared at Brad.
“I’m not going to repeat myself.” Brad’s voice dropped to a deep menacing pitch.
Whether from Brad’s threats or because Reel stupidly thought he could best the bigger man, he let her hair go and shoved her away.
Stumbling, she landed on the cold concert and scraping her palms as she skid a few inches.
“You bastard,” Brad called out.
“Ah!” Reel charged and instantly connected with Brad’s fist.
As she got to her feet, she saw her ex-Doms head snap to the side and blood coming from a fresh split in his lip.
Reel must have been operating on pure madness, because he turned back to Brad and started swinging.
Unfazed by the deranged man’s acts, Brad the more clear headed fighter, laid into the Asian man. A deep punch to Reel’s stomach, Brad had his knees buckling and Reel dropping to the ground.
“Call the police, Gabriella.” Brad gaze connected with hers.
Shaken by what was happening, she pulled out her cell phone and made the call. Not wanting to see any more of the man she’d once trusted brought so low, she unlocked her door and went into her apartment.
Less than ten minutes later, two officers were at her door. After taking her statement, which she just told them that Reel and her had a passed working relationship and when she ended it he refused to stay away. She told them about him attacking her and Brad coming to help her out.
As the officers were leaving with the bruised and battered Reel, Brad told them she would be to the precinct the next day to file a restraining order. The officer agreed with him.
“You going to be all right, miss?” One officer questioned.
“I’ll be staying with her tonight,” Brad announced.
She didn’t think that was necessary but she didn’t want to debate with Brad around the cops.
“That’s good.” The officer followed the path his partner had taken and left.
As Brad locked the door behind the officer, she removed her coat and then dropped heavy onto her couch. Her body had started shaking uncontrollably.
He turned and looked at her.
Something in her features must have let him know she wasn’t doing well, because he crossed the room to her.
“Hey, baby doll, it’s all right. It’s over.” He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.
Unable to put on the brave façade any longer, she curled her body into his and accepted his strength and the support of his arms. Tears welled up in her eyes as she inhaled his scent. Not because of fear, but because of gratitude. He cared enough for her to truly want her to be safe.
“You didn’t leave,” she pressed her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around his sides.
“Never. I would keep you safe from all harm if I could.”
She believed him. And she understood his words. No matter what had just happened with Reel the fact still remained that this was it for them. She would be going to visit her family soon and when she returned he would be in Baltimore.
His hand rubbed her back and she winced.
“You’re hurt. Let me see.” He leaned away from her and sat there waiting expecting her to do as he requested.
Normally, she would have told him she was fine and escorted him to the door and surveyed her injuries after he was gone. However, she didn’t want to think anymore tonight; she complied.
Holding her hands out to him, first she allowed him to see the scrapes along her palms.
He gently rubbed his thumbs over the tender flesh of both her hands. “Not too bad, but you need them cleaned out.” Raising his head and gazing into her eyes, he calmly instructed her as if she were some skitt
ish rabbit, “Get your antiseptic and gauze if you have it.”
Rising, she wordlessly went into her bathroom. She didn’t spare a moment to look into the mirror at the desperate submissive that would be looking back at her. With a heart for a lifestyle where she wanted a dominant over her this was all she had right now and she would take it, have this moment and be appreciative of it. Under the skin she pulled out peroxide and a small cotton pad and returned to the living room.
“Sit. I’ll do it.” He took the items from her and waited for her to follow his command.
Instead of sitting on the couch beside him, as she was doing before, she took up a spot at his feet and rested her hands palm up in his lap.
Brad took in a quick breath, a gasp. She could see both the shock and full awareness enter his intense dark brown gaze. Staring at her, he searched her face. His features began to relax and she hoped he recognized her submission and obedience to him.
He gave a sharp nod of his head then began to work on her hands. Inside one palm was a small pebble and he gingerly worked it out of her hands. Soaking the cotton with the cleanser, he patted her palms with such care.
She could see him now as a physician’s assistant and working with a patient in his care. He had a kind, competent face and soothing touch.
Lifting her hands, he blew on her small wounds and caused heat to crawl along her arms and into her core, making her sex throb. Her heart beat began a faster tempo.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“This is not all of them. Show me your back, China Doll.”
It was her turned to catch your breath at hearing her name on his lips at such a moment. Slipping out of her heels, she performed a smooth execution of rising from her knees to a standing position. Something she had done hundreds of times before, but never with such determination to please.
Taking no more than a single step away from him, she unclasped her belt and let it hit the floor with a thud. Next, she unbuttoned the shirt he’d permitted her to keep, his shirt she would always think of it. It soon arrived at the same destination as the belt.