Waiting on Tuesday

by Bella Settarra

  He strode over to them.

  “Mr. Dexter’s given us both some time off,” he announced with a smile. “Shall we take a trip to Ireland? I’d love to meet your family—if you want to, of course?”

  His heart melted as she reached out her hand for his. She looked uncertain, a little confused.

  “I’m sure they’d love to meet you, Dan.” Padric didn’t seem adverse to the idea. Dan was relieved, fearing he may have wanted his sister to himself for a while.

  “We’d need to speak to Paulette first,” Dan told his sub. “She might have an opinion on whether it’s a good idea or not. Would you want to take a break over there?”

  Relief seemed to wash over Tuesday’s face and she gave him a big hug. “I would, Master Dan, if you’d come with me. I could show you ‘round, introduce you to the family.” She actually began to look excited about the idea.

  “I’ll ring the hospital, see what time Paulette can come over.” Dan kissed the top of her head and went back over to the phone while Tuesday cleared away the dishes.

  “She’ll be here in half an hour,” he announced after speaking with the counselor.

  “Tanks for your support in dis,” Padric whispered to him as Tuesday washed the pots. “I was a bit worried you might not like the idea, you know?”

  “We all want what’s best for your sister,” Dan reminded him. “And I would like to see where she was brought up.” He smiled over at her. Tuesday looked quite at home standing at his kitchen sink with soapsuds on her hands. Yeah, he could get used to this.

  Paulette was shown into the living room where they all sat down to explain what had been going on. She was really surprised to see Padric, and Dan wondered what Tuesday had told her about him. She looked a little shocked when they mentioned that they were thinking about taking a trip over to Ireland.

  “Only with your consent, of course,” Dan pointed out. “If you think it’s a bad idea we’ll put it off. We only want to do it if you think it would be good for Tuesday. She’s our priority.” He was looking at Paulette, but was actually telling Padric too. He didn’t mind toeing the line, but wasn’t prepared to do anything which could have a detrimental effect on his sub.

  “We’ll discuss it,” Paulette promised.

  Dan smiled. “Well, we’ll leave you ladies in peace,” he told them as he kissed Tuesday on the cheek, making her blush. He loved how coy she was in company. He also loved that she had been anything but coy last night! His cock twitched at the memory, and he smirked, giving her a cheeky wink on his way out of the room.

  “Let’s grab another coffee,” Dan suggested as they made their way toward the kitchen.

  “It’s a lovely place you’ve got here,” Padric remarked as they sat in the warm conservatory.

  “Thank you.” He took a sip of his drink, studying the guy curiously. “Tell me, what are your family like?”

  Padric grimaced. “We’re a bit of a mixed bunch, to tell you the truth,” he admitted. “Ashling’s the eldest. Treats us all like a second mother, really, when we actually see her, that is. I tink she keeps in touch with our mammy, but not so much the rest of us, then when we do see her she seems to know all about us. It’s a bit strange, really. I’ve two older brothers, Liam and Sean. They’re both motor mechanics, real gear heads. I see them from time to time, but they’re always up to their eyes in oil. They’re working at this big place outside of our town, I tink they own it now, actually.” He looked thoughtful.

  “Go on,” Dan goaded him. The more he knew about Tuesday, the better he could help her.

  “Then there’s Kathleen, she’s a schoolteacher. I tink she’s probably the closest one to Caoimhe, to be honest. Then the twins, Siobhan and Iona. I was practically a teenager when they were born. I never did see what all the fuss was about, but they attracted so much attention it was unbelievable. Mammy and Daddy were always showing them off around the pub. People loved seeing little red-haired identical twins, not that there’s exactly a shortage of them in Ireland, but there you go. Then there’s Niamh, the baby. Mammy had a hard time having her, I tink. She was almost forty when she had her, mind you. They all doted on her, being the youngest and a miracle baby.”

  “So none of you older ones were living at home when all this was going on with your dad and Tuesday—er, Caoimhe?” Dan asked cagily.

  Padric sighed and Dan wasn’t sure if he’d annoyed him a little.

  “There’s ten years between me and Caoimhe. I left home as soon as I was old enough. It wasn’t a happy place to be brought up, if I’m honest.” Padric stared down into his coffee. “You probably know our parents ran a traditional Irish pub with all of us lot living above it. It was cramped and hot and smelled of booze the whole time. As soon as we were old enough we were all put to work behind the bar, and before that we were taught the unforgettable arts of bottling-up and washing floors. Every one of us left home as soon as we could. I tink it did the younger ones a favor in a way; there really wouldn’t have been room for nine kids as well as me mammy and dad in that flat.

  “We kept in touch though, but we couldn’t even all get together around there as there just wasn’t the room! When we did want the family to get together, which wasn’t often, we’d have to use the bar. Because of the little ones being so small we had to be careful what with licensing laws and all—kids are only allowed in public bars as certain times and our folks couldn’t afford to close part of the place down to accommodate non-paying family, you know?” He took a long swig of his drink.

  “But your sister told you what was going on?” Dan was determined to get the full picture, even if the guy hated him for it.

  Padric nodded. “Caoimhe was no shrinking violet, you know, Dan? She demanded attention. I’m not saying she wasn’t right to; we all agreed afterward that she didn’t get half as much as the twins or the babby. Anyhow, she told me what happened the first time he locked her in the cellar. I was going to go straight ‘round there, but I had to work. Then I heard he’d done it again. I just saw red.”

  Padric’s strong jaw tensed even further and his eyes flashed with pent-up anger. His grip on the coffee mug got tighter, as though he wanted to break it. He was talking through clenched teeth as he went on.

  “I was working at a finance office in town and I just walked out there and then. Lost me job, so I did, but I didn’t care. I went straight back home and told our daddy exactly what I tought of him. Threw me out, he did. Almost hit me and all, but I managed to duck. He’d been drinking all right, but it was no excuse. Told me to get out and never come back. I did just that; left the area and took a job in a pizza place while I finished me financial education online. Got a decent job at the end of it, but that was no help to the family. Poor Caoimhe must have felt like I’d deserted her. Well,” he paused, turning it over in his mind. “I had.”

  He looked totally remorseful as he spoke and Dan felt a little sorry for the guy.

  “We’d let her down, so we had. I couldn’t believe it when she suddenly upped and left for the USA. We wrote a few times, but after she left that job in town, she didn’t want any of us to have her address. We had her mobile number, but that was it. Do you know the cost of international calls to a mobile?”

  “I can imagine.” Dan sighed. “So now you want her to go back and see the family?”

  Padric nodded. “We talked about it at the funeral. I’ll never forgive him, I don’t think anyone will. We just want her to know that. We want to see her and hold her and tell her we’re sorry. Mammy said she wants to apologize while there’s still time to rebuild their relationship, you know? Daddy’s already died…”

  “I get it.” Dan nodded. “Well, I’ve got no objections if it’s what she wants and if Paulette doesn’t have a problem with it. I think that woman’s a real help to your sister.”

  He got up with the tray.

  “I tink you’ve been a real help to her too, you know?” Padric stared up at him.

  Dan smiled. He hoped so.

 
; “So you’re her Dominant?”

  Padric’s question took him by surprise. Dan was putting the cups in the dishwasher and Padric was leaning across the counter watching him.

  “I am.” He straightened up and began preparing a tray for the women.

  “I wouldn’t have tought Caoimhe would want that sort of relationship after what happened with our daddy.” Padric frowned. “All that hitting and hurting, you’d tink she’d had enough of all that. Is it because that’s all she knows, d’you tink?”

  Dan was stunned for a second. “No, that’s not how it works. When your father hit her, he did it to hurt her. He locked her away to frighten her. BDSM’s not about any of that. It’s about power exchange. I’ve got some books on the subject if you’d like to borrow them?”

  “Yes please. I’ve never understood it meself, but then I’ve never actually looked into it properly. Don’t tink I’ll be taking up meself though. Those pants damn near killed me the other night!” He grinned.

  Dan chuckled, shaking his head. No matter his opinion on BDSM, the guy really cared for his sister, and was good fun.

  “Well, what’s the verdict?” Dan asked as he took the tray of coffee and cakes into the girls.

  Tuesday looked really relaxed and happy, and he kissed her on the cheek as he sat on the sofa next to her.

  “Well, we’ve had a good talk and if it’s what Tuesday wants then I think it’s a good idea,” Paulette told them with a smile.

  “Grand! I’ll ring Mammy and let her know.” Padric beamed. “When do we leave?”

  Tuesday laughed.

  Dan loved hearing that sound. “As soon as you like,” he said, looking at her questioningly.

  “As soon as we can get a flight,” she said with an eager shrug.

  “We’ll get onto it after this then,” Dan told her, gesturing to his coffee.

  “I love you,” she said, giving him a big hug.

  It wasn’t the hug which made him spill his drink; it was her saying it in front of everyone. Dan was completely taken by surprise.

  “I love you too,” he told her. She’d given him the courage to be just as public with his feelings as she was now.

  * * *

  Tuesday looked around at all the clothes in the walk-in closet of the spare room. There were so many lovely outfits she had found it hard to decide what to wear today, let alone what to take to Ireland with her.

  “I suppose you could just take it all,” Dan suggested as he walked in behind her.

  “Master Dan, there’s bound to be a weight limit even on a private jet,” she told him, giggling. She could hardly believe that Mr. Dexter had actually offered them the use of his plane.

  “OK. Well, how about you don’t take any of these or those?” He pointed to the underwear with a wicked grin.

  Tuesday laughed. She had done a lot of that today. She felt great. At last everything seemed to be working out for her.

  “How long will we be staying?” she asked.

  “As long as you like.” He shrugged.

  She bit her lip. He frowned.

  “Tuesday, you do want to come back, don’t you? We need to be honest with each other, no secrets. I mean, if you decide once you’re back home that you…”

  She placed a finger over his moist lips to stop him.

  “I am home,” she said softly, nodding.

  He looked happy enough to burst.

  “Really? You’re sure?”

  She nodded.

  “How would you feel about moving in with me?”

  He looked so nervous her heart melted. She felt stunned, and was sure her jaw had hit the floor.

  “Master Dan, I’d love to!” She flung her arms around him and gave him a big hug. “Can I really? I mean…do you want me to?”

  “Of course I do, little one.” He chuckled. “I wouldn’t have asked otherwise would I?”

  “But, I mean, can I stay here…like…live here properly? The whole nine yards? Put my stuff around the place and that?” She could hardly believe what he was saying.

  He nodded. “God yeah. I like to do things properly, little one.”

  She felt a burn in her heart and chewed her lip nervously. “Master Dan, can I ask you something?”

  He looked a little serious as he turned her face up to meet his. “Of course.”

  “I just wondered. Am I anything like Bernice?” She whispered cautiously.

  He smiled, filling her with relief. “In some ways,” he said thoughtfully. “In other ways you’re quite different. Does it worry you, little one?”

  She stared into his big kind eyes. He didn’t appear upset at the mention of his wife. In fact he seemed quite happy to talk about her. “I don’t know.” She shrugged.

  “She’ll always be a part of my life, little one, you know that. She was a big part of my past and she’ll continue to be a small part of my future. Just like you’ve been a small part of my past and now you’re going to be a big part of my future. It’s life.”

  She closed her eyes, allowing his words to sink into her brain.

  “I like the sound of that,” she told him with a grin, opening her eyes again to see his twinkling back at her.

  “I’m glad about that,” he told her. “Now how about getting packed and let’s get going. I want to see if this country of yours is as nice as I’ve heard.” He smacked her playfully on the butt as he left to get his own things together.

  Tuesday took her pick from the lovely clothes he had bought her and packed up her case.

  “Did you find anything nice?” he asked as he came back through, leaving his own case in the hallway.

  She rolled her eyes. “Everything is so nice. That’s what made it so hard to choose,” she explained. “It’s just so difficult when you don’t know how long you’re going for or what sort of accommodation we’re having. I mean, do I pack a pair of hiking boots and some thick pants for walking in the woods, or a bikini and some sneakers for a place with its own gym? I’ve never known anyone be so mysterious about a damn vacation!” She pulled a frustrated face, though it was only in jest.

  He looked quite stern as he marched up to her. “Are you pulling faces at your Dom?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

  She frowned. “I was only…”

  In one movement he had her across his knee as he sat on the edge of the bed.

  Whack! Whack! Whack!

  Her ass stung deliciously.

  “I was joking,” she squealed in delight. “We’re not supposed to be keeping secrets, are we? I thought you believed in being upfront and honest in all things!”

  She was surprised when he suddenly stopped and pulled her into a sitting position on the bed next to him.

  “You’re right, little one.” He gasped, suddenly looking serious.

  She frowned quizzically, still giggling a little. “I’m joking, Master Dan. I’m just so excited to be going on this vacation with you. I love you.”

  She couldn’t say it enough. She loved this man so much.

  “I love you too, little one. And I’ll be honest with you because you’re right, we shouldn’t have secrets. This vacation of ours…”

  Tuesday felt her heart pump heavily as a feeling of dread crept slowly through her body. Was he about to say he wasn’t going? She’d have to face her family alone? Her fears were allayed as she watched him drop to one knee on the bedroom floor, and her heart leaped into her mouth.

  “Perhaps it could also be our honeymoon?”

  She gaped. He looked so gorgeous, so hopeful, so nervous. So damn loveable!

  “Will you marry me, Caoimhe?”

  END

  ~ About the Author ~

  Bella Settarra began writing for a living after having to give up her full-time job due to the after-effects of breast cancer. She has always had a positive outlook and saw this as an opportunity to do what she really wanted to do with her life—write.

  She has always enjoyed writing but had never actually submitted anything for publication be
fore. After undergoing a rather grueling and depressing medical procedure, her husband agreed to take her to a reader-writer event, which is where she met lots of authors who encouraged her to try writing for a publisher. The event, aptly named Smut by the Sea was mainly for authors of Erotic Romance and Erotica, something Bella had never contemplated writing before. However, on the long journey home she started to write a short story which grew into a novella. An author-friend offered to critique the first chapter for her and told her to send it to a publisher as she thought it was really good. The book was accepted shortly after and Last of the Sirens became the first of a series of six!

  After that series, Sirens and Sailors, she went on to write Cowboy Romances, which she loves. She currently has two cowboy series, The Men of Moone Mountain, and the more conventional Midnight in Montana.

  Although still writing her cowboy stories, she wanted to write a story about people who work in a restaurant, which is a subject close to her heart. When she was younger, Bella wanted to go away to University to study English in order to become a writer, but was told she couldn’t go, so was persuaded to go to the local Catering College instead. Although she didn’t much enjoy cooking, she loved working in the restaurant and went on to get several waiting on jobs before running a restaurant herself. She loved the camaraderie of the staff, and the “pomp and circumstance” of waiting on. She has finally combined both her loves by writing a series, Collar and Cuffs, which follows the staff working in the restaurant of a swanky BDSM club—sex and food, what more can you ask for? LOL ;)

  She hopes you enjoy reading her stories as much as she enjoys writing them, and would love readers to connect with her at http://bellasettarrabooks.blogspot.co.uk

  ~ Also by Bella Settarra ~

  Waiting on Summer

  Collar and Cuffs Book One

  Bella Settarra

  He can dominate her body, but he can’t control her past...