Grabbing his phone, he typed out a quick text. “Hey, sexy. How about a date tonight at Hardcore? There’s a whipping post there I’d love to chain you to.”
To his delight, the wavy dots started up almost instantly. Maybe she’d been waiting by her phone for him.
“Sounds fun, but I’ll need to take a rain check. I promised to go to a movie with Allie and Rylee tonight.”
Evan frowned. They only had a few days left together, and she was choosing her girlfriends over him? He pushed down his childish reaction. After all, it wasn’t like they were joined at the hip.
“Okay, that’s cool,” he made himself text back. “See you later tonight at your place?”
“Just finishing up in the workshop. Need to update you on some stuff. I’ll call you in a few, okay?”
That sounded kind of mysterious, even ominous, but Evan refused to speculate. He had no intention of playing the needy guy. That was not who he was. He sent back a thumbs-up emoji.
She finally called a half hour later. Though he had his phone in his hand, Evan let it ring three times before taking the call. “Hey,” he said, grinning in spite of himself.
“Hey,” Ruby replied. “All your fires out?”
“More or less. So what’s all this about updates?”
“The Martins are coming back early. They’ll be here tomorrow morning at eleven. I’m going to pick them up at the airport.”
“The cat people? Why’re they doing that? Is something wrong?”
“It’s pretty crazy. They’re cutting their trip short because I didn’t answer the phone last night or early this morning, apparently, and they freaked out. I think Janice was looking for an excuse to get back to her cats. The trip to Canada was his idea, not hers.”
“So,” Evan said slowly, trying to get a handle on this unexpected change, “tonight’s our last night at the cat resort?”
Ruby chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it is. Listen, the movie starts at seven. We’re going to grab a bite first. I should be back by ten or so. You’re welcome to come and stay over, if you want to. You can just go in through the garage.” She gave him the code.
“Okay. Then we’ll have to figure something out. I’m staying at this B&B right now. It’s just a room inside someone’s big, old house. How about I get a suite over at the Residence Inn near the convention center? We could stay there.”
“I have another idea, if you’re interested. Allie and Liam have invited us to stay with them. They have a guest bedroom. It actually would work out great, because Allie and I are kind of under the gun to get these canes finished before the grand opening. If I’m staying there, we’ll be more likely to get everything done.”
Evan didn’t reply instantly as he grappled with the whole idea. By agreeing to the arrangement, he was tacitly admitting to the world that they were a couple.
On the other hand, what was so bad about that? He definitely wanted to continue seeing Ruby. And he liked the Byrnes, not to mention their kickass dungeon, which would certainly come in handy. If things didn’t work out, he could always find somewhere else to stay.
Who was he kidding?
These were all old arguments—defenses he had built around himself to keep casual relationships from getting overly complicated. The truth was he would do anything to be as close as possible to Ruby for as long as possible. And here she was, offering him the perfect setup.
“Sounds like a great idea,” he enthused. “I’ll take care of Dinky and Doodles and see you after the movie.”
~*~
Evan left for work early the next morning. Ruby changed the sheets and put them, along with the towels they’d used, in the washer. She remade the bed with fresh sheets and tidied the house, making sure everything was pristine before the Martins returned. Once the towels and bedding were dry, she folded and put them away. She fed the cats and then cleaned their litter box one last time. Satisfied everything was in order, Ruby headed out to retrieve the Martins from the airport.
Frank drove home. Janice, beside him in the front, twisted back toward Ruby in the backseat, peppering her with questions about the cats’ daily habits and behavior, things Ruby had already told the woman via texts and emails. Forcing herself to be patient, she answered the questions as pleasantly as she could. Fortunately, they didn’t live far from the airport, and Frank had a heavy foot.
Back at their place, once Janice had made sure her precious babies were intact and happy, she allowed Frank to pay Ruby half of what they’d initially agreed upon, since, Janice said with a sniff, “You’ve only completed half the job.”
Ruby didn’t bother pointing out the obvious—that Janice was the one who had cut their trip short because of her own neurotic obsession. Money was never a driving factor for Ruby. She took the cash with thanks and tucked it away in her purse. Frank offered to give Ruby a ride to Allie’s place, which she accepted.
As they drove, Frank, who had said almost nothing when in the company of his wife, said apologetically, “I’m sorry about all this craziness. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’m sorry I missed the phone calls. I hate to think she worried on my account.”
“Nah,” Frank said with a shake of his head. “She would have found some other excuse to cut the trip short. I guess the real miracle was that she agreed to go away in the first place.” He glanced at Allie, his expression suddenly beseeching. “She really is a good woman, but it’s been tough for her. You see, Janice and I were never able to have kids, and that’s all she ever wanted. We tried for years, and we talked about adopting, but it never really worked out. I think she went a little nuts as a result. As I’m sure you’ve observed, the cats are kind of her baby substitutes. You’ve seen her at her worst, but she’s a great gal. Truly she is.” He smiled suddenly, his eyes soft with love. “This trip was a big step forward for her. Now that she sees it’s possible, maybe I’ll convince her to do another trip in a few months.”
“Maybe you can do something that involves the cats,” Allie suggested with a grin. “Get a camper or something.”
“Maybe,” Frank agreed with a laugh.
As they pulled into Allie’s driveway, Frank reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He removed several bills and held them out to Ruby. “Please, take the rest of what we agreed to. It’s not your fault we’re a little neurotic.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Ruby said with a shake of her head.
“Please,” Frank pressed, setting the money on top of her purse. “I insist. It’ll make me feel better for putting you through this.”
With a smile and a shrug, Ruby slipped the rest of the money into her bag. “Thanks, Frank. And thanks for the ride. Good luck with your future travel plans.”
“Let me show you the guest bedroom so you can put your things in there,” Allie said as they walked together up the stairs. “The master bedroom is downstairs,” she added with a wink. “So you and Evan don’t have to worry about making noise.”
Ruby laughed. “You mean, so you and Liam don’t have to worry,” she teased back. “That’s kind of unusual in these older houses, isn’t it? Having bedrooms on different floors?”
“Yeah,” Allie agreed. “Liam actually had what was the maid’s room and the old butler’s quarters off the kitchen expanded into one room back when he had his car accident. He couldn’t manage the stairs for quite a while after, so he had those rooms converted into an en suite bedroom.”
“He gets around great now, though, huh?” Ruby said admiringly. “It’s so cool that he uses the cane you made him.”
“Yeah, he gets around fine. He’s made huge strides since we’ve been together, especially in his mental outlook. That accident and the shit that went down really did a number on him, but he’s truly come to a place of peace with it all. I’m so proud of him.”
“He’s lucky to have you, Allie,” Ruby said sincerely, smiling warmly at her dear friend.
“I feel like the lucky one,” Allie replied, her expression glowing
. At the top of the stairs, she rubbed her bottom and flashed an impish grin. “Want to see the gorgeous welts he gave me last night?”
“Sure,” Ruby said with a laugh.
Turning, Allie lifted her short dress and tugged down her silky bikini panties. Her small bottom was marked with two dark red welts, delivered in parallel lines across both cheeks. There were myriad fading welts beneath in pale pinks and purples. A non-initiate to the scene would have been horrified, but Ruby understood Allie regarded her constant marking as a source of pride and courage.
“Oh,” Ruby said softly. She reached out and drew her finger lightly over one of the ridged welts. “That’s beautiful, Allie.”
The guest bedroom was at the end of the hallway on the second floor, past Allie’s workshop and Liam’s study. The room wasn’t large, but it accommodated a queen bed with an upholstered headboard, a bureau set across from it. It had its own bathroom, a definite plus.
“This will be perfect,” Ruby said, setting down her travel bags. “Evan should be coming by later today when he’s done at work. He said something about bringing a couple pizzas, if that works for you guys.”
“As long one of them has mushrooms, green olives, onions, artichoke hearts, red peppers, extra sauce and extra cheese, that’ll be perfect,” Allie agreed with a grin. “Tastebud makes the best pizza around, but House of Pie works in a pinch.”
“You should text him directly,” Ruby said with a grin. “I’ll never remember all that.”
“Okay. I will.” As they left the bedroom, Allie said, “Ready to get to work?”
“You bet.”
They settled in quickly, each working at a separate table. Ruby worked on the cane construction, while Allie did the handles and added the silver filigree and gemstones accents.
At Allie’s insistence, Ruby gave her a blow-by-blow description of the Master/slave experiment. That topic eventually exhausted, they talked casually of this and that. Eventually they quieted, each lost in her work.
Out of nowhere, Allie surprised Ruby by saying, “I have a confession to make. Something I never told anyone, not till Liam.”
“Oh, yeah?” Ruby said, turning her head expectantly toward her old friend. “What’s that?”
“I used to fake orgasms when I was with guys. Not sometimes. All the time.”
Ruby’s mouth fell open. “No way,” she breathed, shocked. Allie had always seemed to be so sexually at ease and confident.
“Yeah, I know, right?” Allie said, shaking her head. “I could never climax with a guy. I used to worry I was broken or something, and I worked myself up so much over it that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. It got to the point where I was so stressed out that I just decided to fake it without even trying. I got really good at it, so good I could make my own heart pound. I would pant, tremble, sweat, the whole deal. I even half convinced myself I was coming, but it was all just an act.”
“So what changed?”
Allie smiled, her whole face lighting up. “I met Sir Liam.”
“So it was that easy? You met Master Right, and wham, you’re cured?”
Allie shook her head. “No. I lied to him, too, at first. But he figured it out. Not exactly what I was lying about, but that I was holding back. When I finally confessed, he wasn’t at all judgmental. He made it safe for me.”
“How did he do that?” Ruby asked, intrigued.
“At first he forbade me to orgasm. He took it off the plate, and that took all the pressure off, you know? Then he showed me, slowly and with love and patience, how to trust my own body. He taught me to let go.”
Ruby smiled. “That’s so romantic, Allie. I’m glad you’ve found the love of your life.”
“Yeah, I am pretty lucky.” Allie was quiet a moment, and then she asked, “What about you? Do you think Evan might be the one?”
Ruby shrugged. “Normally I’d say no way, since neither of us has plans to stick around, but we definitely have something special between us. Something unique. I love being with him. I love that he delved into my secret fantasies and wanted to bring one to life for me. And I love even more that he got it when I said it wasn’t working for me. It’s like we’re really in tune with each other, and we kind of fit, if you know what I mean.”
“I do,” Allie replied. “There’s a definite connection. But I think it’s more than that. I think he’s in love with you.”
Ruby smiled but shook her head. “Nah. I don’t think Evan’s the falling in love type. He downplayed it, but he was badly burned in the romance department when he was pretty young. I think that’s kept him from getting too close to anyone.”
“What a load of crap,” Allie retorted. “He might tell you that. He might even tell himself that, but I see what I see. Liam agrees with me.”
When Ruby said nothing in reply, Allie continued, “What about you? Can you see yourself settling down with just one guy?”
Ruby paused to consider it. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve had some long-term relationships, if you consider a year long-term. When it’s good and it’s working, it’s wonderful. And when that’s no longer the case”—Ruby shrugged philosophically—“then I know it’s time to move on.”
“What if it’s still wonderful with Evan after next week? Have you guys talked about where you go from here, once they do the grand opening, and he moves on to his next gig?”
“We really haven’t talked about it.” Ruby was quiet a while as she pondered what it would be like to no longer have Evan in her life. The thought actually made her sad, which surprised her, since she usually had no trouble letting someone go. She had always believed that if things were supposed to work out, they would. She wasn’t one to try to influence the outcome, especially if the other person had made it clear they weren’t in it for the long term.
But it did feel different with Evan. Was Allie right? Was it possible Ruby was falling in love? Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Aloud, she said, “We haven’t talked about the future.” Then she laughed. “We still have a whole week. Anything can happen.”
Chapter 12
Evan moaned with pleasure as he came awake. It took him a moment to understand what was happening, and why he felt so incredibly good. Lifting his head, he saw Ruby crouched between his legs, her dark head bobbing over his groin. Her mouth was warm and wet around his cock. She cradled his balls in her hands as she licked and sucked his pulsing shaft.
He wanted to make it last, but it was a lost cause. With a groan, he let himself go, shooting his hot seed down her throat. She didn’t pull away until he was completely spent. Only then did she let his cock slide from her lips. Lifting her head, she smiled at him, her eyes dancing. “Morning, cutie pie.”
“Man,” he said with a satisfied sigh, “what an awesome way to wake up.”
“You have that goofy, milk-drunk smile on your face,” Ruby said, scooting up to snuggle against him.
“Milk drunk?” Evan repeated, confused.
“Like a baby drunk on mother’s milk,” she explained.
Evan laughed. “I never heard that one before.” He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. “I might have to reinstate the Master thing so I can order you to do that every morning.”
“No orders required,” she replied with a grin.
Evan drifted pleasantly for a while. He actually had the day off for the first time since he’d arrived in Portland. Ruby had wanted to explore the city, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Then his cell phone began to ding. “Let it go to voicemail,” he said, when Ruby lifted her head inquiringly.
She put her head back on his chest, and he stroked her thick, silky hair. The room they were staying in was nice, the bed very comfortable. Everything should have been perfect, but Evan couldn’t deny the unpleasant niggle of discomfort at the back of his mind since he’d checked out of the B&B and moved in here as Ruby’s “other half.”
While most of him was very happy to be part of a couple with this wonder
ful woman, the old Evan—the careful Evan who always kept an escape hatch open and his suitcase packed—was a little nervous about how quickly things were moving between them. The knowledge that they’d both be moving on at the end of the week should have provided the comfort he needed, but he found that troubling, too. It was as if there were several different Evans in his head, each one fighting to be on top. One Evan wanted to spend every spare second with Ruby, while another Evan was looking around anxiously for an exit. A third Evan was actually asking what the future held, something he normally rigorously avoided even thinking about. The easiest thing to do was put it all out of his mind. Things had a way of working out, if he just let them be.
The phone rang again.
“Maybe you’d better see who it is,” Ruby said sleepily.
Fully conscious now, Evan reached for his cell and saw it was Bob Benson. “Hey, Bob. What’s up?”
“Glad I got you. Listen, I agreed to let this Femdom group use the space today, even though we’re not officially open yet. I was going handle it, but something’s come up and I’m not going to be able to make it. Could you cover for me? The event starts at four, but the organizers will probably show up around three thirty to get things ready. They’re going to conduct a branding ceremony first off, and then they’ve rented the dungeon space for a few hours of play afterward. I’ll be there to close the place up before they leave. I just need you to stick around during the actual branding. The last thing we need is for these guys to burn the place down before we open.” He guffawed.
Evan suppressed a groan, jealous of his time with Ruby. But he prided himself on being a full service, 24/7 event coordinator and so he said without a trace of impatience, “Sure, no problem. I can handle it.”
They talked for another minute or two and said their goodbyes.
Ruby lifted her head as Evan set the phone back on the nightstand. “Who was that?”
BDSM Connections - The Complete 4 Novel Series Page 74