by Tara Rose
He looked like he still worked out regularly. Ava had to force her gaze away from his forearms. She kept imagining him rolling up those sleeves while she stared at the muscles in his arms, and at the paddle or riding crop in his hand. “So you also have a degree in English, then?”
He nodded. “I have an MA in that as well.”
Impressive. He’d earned two master’s degrees. That takes hard work, discipline, and dedication. “Have you also taught English for the same amount of time?”
“Yes. How about you? I’m assuming your degree was in music, right?”
“I have a dual undergraduate degree from Berklee in Boston. Performance and education.” She frowned. “But you must have already known that. Or at least, you knew I played a string instrument…”
As her voice trailed off, Noah softly cleared his throat and Jake looked like he’d just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I asked around after I left your shop this morning.”
And then he’d driven to Indy and bought her the wind chime. But why? Was it a peace offering, or a ploy to get on her good side so she wouldn’t push for music programs in the schools? And which person at this table had given him such detailed information about her? It hadn’t been Kari. She’d bet her life on that.
The group ate in silence for a few moments, and Ava could feel the tension in the air. She didn’t dare glace at Noah or Adison right now. She wasn’t on familiar footing with anyone in this room, and suddenly she missed Boston and Chicago in a way she hadn’t for a long time.
What was she doing here, in this tiny town where only a handful of people gave a crap about what kinds of extracurricular activities their kids had the chance to participate in? Her parents had been right. She’d been out of her fucking mind to take this on. There was a reason the town hadn’t had a music store in decades. No one gave a shit about it.
“Are you from Boston, then?”
She studied Jake’s face carefully. Who had told him what instrument she played? Someone at this table? Alexa, Chase, or Luke? One of the principals? No one else knew. Wasn’t it also reasonable, then, that he’d also been told about her background? Why did she have to play this silly game? “Chicago, actually. Lake Forest, specifically. At the time, Berklee was one of my top choices, so I jumped at the chance to attend.”
“And did you return to Chicago after you graduated? You mentioned you worked in an orchestra there.”
“That’s right. I did. I was with the Northwest Chamber Orchestra.”
“Did you audition for others as well?”
“I didn’t audition for that one. Their artistic director heard me play a solo at a school function in Boston and offered me a spot as soon as I graduated.”
Jake smiled. “That’s wonderful.”
“It was.” She hoped he didn’t ask any more questions about the gig because she most definitely did not want to tell him anything else about her time there. She hadn’t even told Kari, Noah, or Adison the whole story about why she’d left. “Are you a Racy native then, like these three?”
“Yep. Born and raised here.”
“Where did you earn your MA degrees?”
“IU in Bloomington. Why did you leave Chicago?”
Ava took a deep breath. “That’s not something I can talk about yet.”
Jake frowned, and his eyes filled with concern, which of course made her forgive him all over again. “I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”
“No, it’s all right. It’s a legit question.”
The group went silent again, and it quickly grew uncomfortable. Adison leaned back in his chair. “I think that was my best batch to date. I’m stuffed. But just in case anyone is still hungry, Kari made New York cheesecake for dessert.”
Ava put down her fork. “Oh, I can’t pass that up.”
“Me either,” said Noah.
Kari rose. “I’ll bring everyone a piece.”
Ava stood. “I’ll help you.”
Once they were out of earshot in the kitchen, Ava whispered to Kari, “Who told him I play the cello?”
“Noah. The guys were at Maddox’s house earlier for a meeting.” Kari took the cheesecake out of the fridge, then opened a drawer, took out a knife and began to make cuts. “They’ve all been trying to put together munches and classes. Noah said Jake stopped him outside and began asking questions about you, but Noah didn’t tell him much beyond what you two just talked about. He didn’t out you. He and Adison would never do that.”
Kari took out dishes and forks, and began to place pieces of cheesecake on the plates.
Ava grinned. “I know none of you would do that to me, but do you realize that you just outed Jake.?”
Kari’s eyes grew big and she stopped moving, balancing a piece of cheesecake above a plate. It almost fell, but she caught it in time. Both women laughed, and Kari’s face turned red. “Oh fuck,” she whispered. “I did, didn’t I? You did know he was a Dom, didn’t you? That’s why you were asking all those questions this morning, right?”
“Yes. But what do we do now? I mean, this is silly. We should just get this out in the open.”
Kari’s face grew serious. “You’re all right with that?”
Ava nodded.
“But I have to let Noah and Adison know that somehow before I steer the conversation toward you being a sub or him being a Dom. Otherwise they’ll be confused about why I would say anything.”
“Then let me take the initiative. That way it will be me who outs myself.”
“That’s a great idea. Thanks.”
They picked up the dishes to carry them into the kitchen. “Will you still have to tell them that you accidentally outed Jake?”
“Of course.”
“Will they be upset?”
“No. They’ll laugh at me. Especially when I tell them how I took great pains not to say anything to you earlier.”
“You’re so lucky.”
“Ava, give it time. Leo hurt you so much. Just let yourself heal from it and everything else will work itself out.”
Ava nodded, then followed Kari back into the dining room, trying not to cry at the rush of emotion that coursed through her. Kari didn’t know the half of what Leo had done.
Chapter Five
Jake didn’t have time to say much in private to Noah and Adison before Kari and Ava came back into the room. Kari placed a plate with cheesecake on it before Noah, one before Adison, then sat down with hers.
Ava placed one in front of him, and then took her seat.
Just like a good subbie would do.
He had to know. And there was really only one way to find out. Noah had almost stumbled earlier outside Maddox’s house and told him what he suspected was the truth, but he was as loyal to Kari’s friend as she was. Jake liked that about Noah, Adison, and Kari, but his curiosity was way beyond piqued now.
He tasted the cheesecake. “This is delicious. So tell me. Is there really a difference between New York cheesecake and another kind?”
Kari gave him a droll look. “Ah, yes. Heavy cream, cream cheese, and egg yolks make it very dense and firm. If you’re from certain neighborhoods in Brooklyn you use ricotta, and that gives it a slightly different texture, but overall it’s much thicker and harder than other kinds.”
Adison snorted. “You’ve just described every woman’s fantasy.”
They all laughed, and Jake seized the opportunity. “Careful. Ava will think we’re a bunch of perverts like certain people in this town already do.”
Kari didn’t react, making him immediately suspicious as to what they’d been whispering about in the next room, but Noah and Adison each shot him a warning glance.
Ava gave him her full attention. “Which people think that?”
He shifted in his seat so that he could watch her face as he spoke. “Oh, a certain councilperson whose wife is unfortunately the high school principal. And once in a while the members of two churches protest in front of Maddox’s house.”
Ava
put down her fork. “You mean they protest his BDSM club?”
Out of the corner of his eye he caught Kari trying to communicate with her two Doms by looks and gestures alone, but he ignored it. If she and Ava hadn’t already discussed this to some degree, he’d eat the chair on which he sat. “Yes, exactly.”
“How often does that happen?”
“A few times a year. They don’t actually do anything, just walk in front of the house holding signs. Sean, Harrison, and Chad, our three detectives, come by and hang out on the fringes in their squad cars, and soon the protestors get bored and leave.”
“There will always be people who don’t understand the lifestyle. It’s a matter of education. And of course, a good surgeon so they can have the poles removed from their asses.”
They all laughed again, and Kari nearly choked on her cheesecake. She drank an entire glass of water as her face turned red in between coughing fits.
Jake stared at Ava for several minutes with a big grin on his face, trying to choose his next words carefully. “It sounds as though you’ve dealt with this a time or two yourself.”
“Doesn’t every club? I mean, no matter where you live, people are still people.”
That was still too vague. “What about the clubs you’ve been to? Same kinds of things happen there?”
A shadow of pain so intense that Jake immediately wished he hadn’t asked crossed her face, but then it was gone. He knew he hadn’t imagined it, but this certainly wasn’t the time to unearth that particular secret. His heart pounded as it was. He’d made the mistake once of assuming a woman was a sub, and he’d tried to draw out the truth from her just like he was doing now, only to find out he’d been so far off the mark that his assumption wasn’t even in the same universe. The results had not been pretty. But he didn’t believe he was wrong this time.
“Not so much in Chicago. It’s almost mainstream there. Then again, there are a lot more people living there, so I suspect the clubs simply don’t draw as much attention as Maddox’s house must do here.”
“Same thing in New York,” said Kari, without missing a beat. So, they all knew then. “It’s almost mainstream there. And even people not in the lifestyle just ignore it and go their own way.”
He glanced at Noah and Adison who no longer gave him or Kari cautious looks. In fact, both men looked a bit confused. Jake turned his attention back toward Ava. “Did you and Kari meet in a club, then?”
“Yes. We met at a play party. A friend of mine took me along. She stayed with her Dom, and I mostly just stood in the center of the room and gawked. It was my first time inside a club.”
“How did you and Kari actually meet, then?”
“My friend’s Dom knew Kari’s ex, so he introduced us.”
“We hit it off right away,” said Kari, “especially once I found out she was from the Midwest, like me.”
Jake decided to just go for it. The worst that could happen is that he was wrong and she’d say so. He could live with the embarrassment. “Do you still have a Dom back in Chicago?”
She averted her gaze and shook her head. “Not anymore.” Her voice was hard, but full of pain, not anger or embarrassment. Jake decided that was enough digging in her past for now. He had his answer, after all.
“You should come to Maddox’s club with us sometime so that you can meet the other Racy kinksters.”
She took a bite, still looking at her plate, and he watched her chew the food then swallow it. Finally, she looked into his eyes again, all the previous pain gone. Now, she merely looked interested and flattered. His heart gave a strange lurch as she spoke in a soft, clear voice. “I would love to go to Maddox’s club with all of you.”
* * * *
Gary found plenty of reasons to drive down Turbine Trail on Sunday, but he didn’t spot Ava once. Both Monday and Tuesday afternoons, as soon as he was done with his last class, he cruised Turbine Trail and Lawnview Drive, hoping to see her at one location, but no such luck.
He was dying to know how dinner had gone Saturday night, but he couldn’t waltz back into Tye Me Up and ask Kari. He could probably find Noah or Adison and ask them, but then he’d have to explain why he gave a shit about Adison making goulash, and he wasn’t ready to do that. He felt like a fourteen-year-old kid stalking his first real crush, and Gary didn’t like that. He’d see her Friday, but Gary didn’t want to wait that long.
On Wednesday afternoon, he finally caught a break. As he pulled up to Harmony Music, a woman that had to be Ava stood outside, without a coat, watching as Kari’s father Buddy and Luke hung a shiny new sign above her shop. Luke had a truck with a winch and was always being asked to help with things like that.
The sign said “Harmony Music” and was decorated with musical notes on both sides, designed in such a way that they blended in with the lettering. It was clever and attractive, and Gary felt certain it would draw people in, even if they were merely curious.
He stayed in his car and watched until the men had it secure, and then he smiled as Ava clapped her hands. He waited until Buddy and Luke left, then got out of his car and caught her just as she was stepping inside.
“Hi there. I’m Gary Reed.” He stuck out his hand, fighting to keep breathing. Her eyes were stunning. Kari hadn’t told him that.
“Oh, yes. Of course.” She shook his hand, and there was no way to stop his dick from growing rock hard. This woman was fucking beautiful. “Kari invited us both for pizza and movies this Friday, but now we get to meet early. You’re a percussionist, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Come on in. It’s freezing out here.”
Gary glanced to his left as the breeze stirred. A wooden wind chime featuring tiny stringed instruments hung from the front porch ceiling. “That’s adorable. Where did you get it?”
“Jake Malloy gave it to me. Apparently he bought it in Indianapolis on Saturday.”
He had? Jake had gone to Indy to buy her a present? Had hell frozen over as well?
“It’s perfect for your shop.” He hoped she didn’t catch the sarcasm in his voice.
“I know. I just hope it won’t get ruined outside.”
“Wind chimes are meant to be outdoors. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” What was wrong with him? He’d finally met the elusive, mysterious Ava Harmony, and all he could think to talk about were fucking wind chimes?
“I suppose you’re right.”
He followed her into the shop, which was toasty warm. Crates and boxes were scattered all over the floor, and it was obvious she’d been putting away stock. He noticed flecks of cardboard and Styrofoam in her cinnamon-colored hair, and Gary fought the urge to brush it away, just so he could touch her. “It looks like I’ve caught you at a bad time.”
“No, not at all. Everything arrived at once it seems, but that’s good. I have half my stock already. At this rate I might be able to open before April seventh.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind my being here?” Shut up! What are you? Twelve years old?
“No, really. I don’t mind. I’ll give you the tour.” She led him into an alcove where a sofa, two armchairs, a coffee table, and two end tables had been grouped in the center. Lamps with musical notes on the shades sat on the tables.
“This looks cozy. A reading room? What a great idea.”
“I’m stocking hard back books here, but I know in a town this size there might not be a huge market for them, so I wanted to give people a place where they could sit and read them as well.”
“That’s generous of you. It’s too bad you couldn’t have asked a library to donate old books, though. That way you could keep some for reading, and the others for purchase.”
She raised a brow. “I hadn’t thought about doing that. I’ll look into it.”
He glanced at the shelves next to the counter where a computer and monitor sat. “What do you plan to put over there?”
“Score books.”
He nodded. “Good idea. And on the other wall?”
/> “Everything else. What I don’t carry I’ll order.” She led him into the other alcove, which was empty. “In here I’m putting string instruments for now, since that’s my specialty. I want to wait and see what people come looking for before I spend money on too many things.”
Gary grinned. “What about drum sets? Lots of teens in this town. They would sell well.”
Her soft laugh tinkled, sending an odd fluttering through his heart. “I wish I’d asked you about setup. You have an eye for it.”
“You could always set up drums in the main room. There’s plenty of space.”
“That’s true. Except it would be noisy when someone played. Maybe I should put a drum set in one of the rooms upstairs?” She studied his face, as if choosing her next words. “Kari tells me that you work with the marching band during football season. Do you give lessons as well, by any chance? The one genre where I don’t have contacts for teachers is percussion.”
Gary would have hugged her if not for the fact that he’d just met her. Then again, judging by the unmistakable interest in her eyes, maybe that wouldn’t be the wrong thing to do? “Well, I’ve never given private lessons, but I’d be willing to try.” He’d love to give lessons, if it meant spending time in this shop with her.
“Great. We’ll talk more once I’ve been open for a while and I have a chance to see what people in Racy want.”
People in Racy would be far more interested in pounding on a drum or strumming a guitar than they would be in reading about composition or buying a violin bow, but he didn’t want to dash her hopes. How the hell had she ended up in this backward town? She belonged in New York or Chicago. Even Indy would be a better fit for this shop. He tried to recall what Kari had said about her, but his mind seemed to be made of Swiss cheese right now. Every time he looked into her eyes, all he wanted to do was pull her into a tight embrace and kiss her until neither of them could breathe.
“Do you want to see the upstairs? The rooms are empty right now.”
“Sure.” He followed her up the sweeping staircase, admiring the way her ass moved in her jeans. It was impossible not to picture her naked. Had Jake done the same thing on Saturday at dinner? How he wished he could figure out a way to work that into the conversation right now. He hated the jealousy that coursed through his body every time he thought about it, but at least Jake wouldn’t be around on Friday.