by Avery Gale
The stream of tears trailing down her cheeks confirmed his suspicion. He’d known there were two very distinct sides of the woman sitting so close the warmth of her pale skin radiated against his own. Trying to be the son her dad had told her so often he’d wanted, combined with her desire to fit in with the only playmates available, had only added to the stress of trying to belong.
After her mom died, the only dresses she’d had were the ones his mom bought her—something Kip knew his own dad had encouraged. Their dad had never missed an opportunity to tell Caila how pretty she looked and how proud he was of her. Kip hadn’t understood how important his parents had been to Caila until recently. During the past month, each of his brothers had shared stories about Caila, and those usually included ways his mom or dad had made a point to include the accident prone little girl next door in their family activities.
“I was only thinking about your mom, but your dad was amazing, too. There were so many times my dad was too distracted by his own grief to realize I was grieving, too.” She paused for a few seconds, but Kip didn’t rush her. He waited for her to get her thoughts and emotions together. “For so long, I pretended we were being raised by each other’s parents. I was sure we’d been switched at the hospital.” He suspected she was thinking out loud, because her words sounded more like stream of consciousness than logical thinking. Or maybe it was just because he was a man and didn’t fully understand the way women processed information, because quite frankly, she wasn’t making a lot of sense. Hell, Kip was several years older, so there was no chance they’d been swapped at birth. Her eyelids kept drifting down to half-mast, and he smiled when her pretty blue eyes became unfocused with fatigue. Time to get her back on track.
“Do you need help getting out of these clothes?” Because I’m always going to be all in when comes to getting you naked. Tally had managed to find Caila a change of clothes—a pair of yoga pants and a button-down shirt—then waved him off when he offered to pay her for the garments.
When she didn’t answer, he began unbuttoning the shirt, slipping one button after another through the small openings, until she placed her hand over his and shook her head. Wincing at the pain the movement caused, Caila whispered, “I’ll do it. I forgot how strong those pills are. They always make me so sleepy. I promise I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.” He nodded and helped her slide off the counter. Once he was sure her shaking legs were going to hold her, Kip stepped out of the room.
After pulling a freshly laundered t-shirt from his duffle, Kip knocked on the door and waited. When she didn’t answer the second knock, he turned the handle and found her lying on the floor. The bath sheet she’d wrapped around her had come untied, exposing her breasts to his view. He remembered exactly how sweet those cotton candy colored nipples tasted and how tight they peaked when she was aroused. Tossing the shirt aside, Kip scooped her up once again and made his way into the next room.
He’d already turned down the bed, so he slipped her between the sheets and pulled the cover over her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kip used the tips of his fingers to move the damp strands of her hair away from her face. He still didn’t fully understand what happened yesterday, but some internal switch flipped when he’d overheard Nate say Caila had been sleeping in her cold SUV. In some dark corner of his mind, everything had changed in that instant—and it had totally blindsided him.
When he’d mentioned the change to Nate earlier today, the man had nodded in understanding. “I’ve heard other Doms mention the same thing, and I’ve rarely seen them fail when they set their sights on the submissive in question. But you must always remember, this club only caters to consensual relationships. You can’t keep Caila here against her will. If she decides she wants to leave, and it’s safe for her to do so, we’ll have to let her go.” The club owner’s sly smile told Kip whatever they did back in Pine Creek wasn’t his concern.
Leaning forward, Kip pressed his lips against her forehead, inhaling the crisp scent of the fresh smelling soap she’d used to wash her face. He loved the citrus scent, but the underlying fragrance he recognized as uniquely Caila’s was what had him pressing his nose into her hair before moving down to her ear. “I’m going to step outside and let the family know you’re resting, baby. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t try to get up on your own. Remember, the doctor said you might be unsteady on your feet for a few days. Let’s avoid another accident, okay?”
He hadn’t expected her to answer, so he was surprised by her murmured agreement. This time he pressed a kiss against her lips and smiled to himself when she sighed softly in surrender. When she opened to him, it was more temptation than he could resist. Sliding his tongue inside her sweet mouth, Kip fought the urge to plunder her with all the fire building deep inside his chest. Regaining his control was torture, but Kip finally pulled back, leaving nothing more than a breath of air between them. “Rest, baby. I’ll be back in a few minutes to check on you. If you need me, you only have to call out.”
Her eyes were half-lidded and slightly unfocused, but it was the watery tears that tugged at his heart. “I’m really sorry. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do this again. I can’t. You’ll break my heart, Kip.” The desperation and defeat in her voice sliced through him. Kip wasn’t sure he’d ever felt as unworthy as he did at this moment.
“I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m asking you to give me one month. If you still want to walk away at the end of four weeks, I won’t stand in your way.” He’d only planned to ask for a week, but for the first time, Kip wondered if he hadn’t underestimated her resolve—convincing her he was in it for the long haul wasn’t going to as easy as he’d hoped.
“All of the job offers will slip through my fingers if I wait a month to make a decision. I’m going to have to have money to help my dad, Kip.”
Shaking his head, Kip pressed another kiss against her forehead. Her soft sigh tugged at his heartstrings. “We’ll discuss it later, but I promise you those companies will give you the time you need. You gave me years to screw this up. I’m asking you to please give me a month to fix it.” Her eyes were already drifting closed before he’d finished speaking. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction those had been the last words she’d heard before drifting off. Better hope she ponies up the month or you’re screwed. And the worst part was, he had no one but himself to blame.
Chapter Ten
Nate fell into his chair and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. What the hell was in the air tonight? Was there some sort of double full moon? Fuck-all, there had to be something feeding the craziness. First, he and Taz found a club member half frozen in her car. Then Kip Morgan blew in like a damned tropical hurricane dropped on them during the first snowstorm of the season. Then the sweet popsicle they’d rescued from her Jeep decides to take a header upstairs and loses—big time—in her battle against a piece of furniture Nate would have sworn was harmless.
How Dr. Caila Cooper managed to acquire a gash requiring twenty-two stitches was a mystery Nate wasn’t sure he wanted to unravel. He’d filled out all the appropriate forms, but still shook his head thinking about how she’d fallen. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how she’d earned the nickname Calamity. To top off everything else, he’d been forced to walk away from the submissive he’d been flogging, leaving her to another Dom who’d been all too anxious to step in. Shaking his head, Nate wanted to curse the fact he and Taz couldn’t find a woman to share. They’d seen successful polyamorous relationships at work and wanted it for themselves. But they both knew it was going to take a very special woman to put up with two former Navy SEALs who were also sexual Dominants.
Lifting his head, Nate looked out the tall window behind his desk, watching as the first rays of morning light danced down over the tops of the snow peaked mountains in the distance. God, he loved Montana. The entire time he’d been in the military, the one thing that had always kept him centered was knowing he’d return to the most beautiful place on Earth.
Finding this warehouse so close to the Rocky Mountains had been pure kismet. The mammoth concrete structure had been abandoned for more than two decades. Luckily, the owners hadn’t let it fall completely into disrepair, so the renovation process had been smoother than Nate and Taz expected. The huge steel I-beams overhead added to the industrial feel of the main room, and the pulley system they’d installed worked perfectly for moving the heavy pieces of fetish furniture around the room.
They’d kept the cavernous main room open, covering the concrete floors with dark wood. Heating the floors had been one of the many extras they’d added, hoping to make the club comfortable for Doms and submissives no matter how cold it was outside. The observation runs suspended by thick braided wire cables circled the second story of the main room, making it easy for the dungeon monitors to see the entire space. The runs also led to a short hallway where they’d added several specially designed private playrooms. Partitioning what had at one time been large storage rooms with a glass wall left the other half of the room open for voyeurs. A couple of months ago, they’d added remote controlled drapery on the inside of the windows, giving Dom’s the option for privacy during aftercare. The small addition had been Tobi West’s idea and had proven to be money well spent—the rooms were even more popular now. Nate smiled to himself because the damned rooms were usually booked weeks, and in some cases months, in advance.
Replacing the oversized windows in the office area had been ridiculously expensive, but the view alone had been well worth the exorbitant cost. Nate loved sunshine despite the fact the club catered to night owls. He knew himself well enough to appreciate how much better he functioned when surrounded by natural light. He and his brother enjoyed all the perks of Mountain Mastery, but they never forgot it was, first and foremost, a business.
His younger brother would already be sacked upstairs. The large apartment they’d created on the warehouse’s fourth floor was a stark contrast to the rest of the building. They’d eliminated any hint of the space’s industrial history. Warm colors and plush carpeting helped both men separate their work from their home life, even if they never left the building. Turning back to his desk, Nate moved his fingers over screen of his laptop.
Damn, he’d forgotten about the phone call from Kyle West and his stilted conversation with Tobi. Why the woman thought he would be interested in a damned romance novel was another riddle he hadn’t solved yet. Damn, I swear there is a new strain of crazy going around—and it’s a fucking epidemic.
Gazing at the book’s cover, Nate noted the curvy brunette sandwiched between two men. A sense of foreboding clouded his thinking for a minute before he pushed it aside. He’d never been one to ignore a gut reaction, but he didn’t have any justification for the feeling, so he shook it off. Once he’d purchased the book, Nate closed his computer and made his way upstairs. A hot shower and a few hours of sleep would put everything in perspective—hopefully. Maybe the world would be more settled this evening.
He could only hope.
Caila stared out the passenger window of Kip’s truck, closing her eyes against the sunlight. She’d gotten her sunglasses from her Jeep, but they weren’t providing much relief. Damn her head was going to explode if it didn’t spin right off her shoulders first. Her anger continued on a slow boil at Kip’s high-handed treatment. He’d not only taken her car keys, but he’d also disabled her older model SUV. “You can’t expect me to let you drive home on those tires, Cal. What the hell were you thinking driving all over the damned country on those? Hell, the cords were showing in several places on all four tires.” The truth was, she hadn’t been thinking about anything other than putting miles between them. And now, the only thing she could think of was all the creative ways she could separate him from his balls. The man was so blasted exasperating she wanted to scream.
“Listen, I understand that you’re angry about your Jeep, but Taz will bring it up to the ranch as soon as it has new tires and the mechanics have a chance to check it over.” When she didn’t answer, he sighed. “You’ll have it back in a few days. Until then, you can use one of the ranch trucks if you need something to drive.”
“I can’t afford new tires, Kip. And you know how mechanics are, they always find ten things wrong, even if your car is running fine.” She’d hoped he would catch her mutinous glare, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off the road while she’d been speaking.
“The tires and tune-up have already been paid for.” She gasped, and he shot her a menacing look. “Don’t. Just don’t. I mean it, Cal. Don’t you dare say one word. I’m already looking forward to hearing the lecture you’re going to get from Brandt about safety, and I won’t even mention all the colorful language Colt and Sage used when they heard Taz’s detailed description of your Jeep. Phoenix simply started making plans to paddle your backside for not taking better care of yourself and driving something that not only endangered you but also the other drivers on the road.”
“You’re a real ass, you know that? I didn’t ask for your help. What right do you have to butt into my life?” Caila knew she being petulant, but she didn’t care. God in heaven save her from bossy men.
Kip gave her a small smile that threatened retribution. “Have you already forgotten the agreement we made last night? The one where you give me a month to prove my intentions are honorable? To assure you that your heart is safe with me?” Caila crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You’ve already got more punishments coming than I can give you in one session. I’d rein in the attitude if I were you. My brothers all have lectures planned for you, and if you want to sit comfortably while you listen to them drone on in excruciating detail all the ways you’ve disappointed them, you best can it.”
She didn’t think she’d actually agreed to the month he’d requested, but she’d been so groggy from the Tylenol she wasn’t sure. It would be just like him to gas light her about their conversation, but she was reserving judgement, hoping he’d lose interest and save her the trouble. Rubbing her hand over her forehead, Caila wished the throbbing in her head would go away. This wasn’t the first time she’d had a concussion, but it sure felt like the worst one.
The truck rocked to a stop at the side of the road, and Kip’s cool hand tunneled under her hair to wrap around the back of her neck. The caress of his cool hand over her heated skin had her groaning in relief. She hadn’t even realized how tight the muscles at the base of her skull were until he started massaging them.
His strong hands plied the taut muscles, squeezing with enough pressure her head lolled forward. “I’ll give you a proper massage when we get home, baby. Until then, I’ll give you a preview. Maybe it’ll hold the worst of the pain at bay. If you start to get dizzy, let me know right away. Doctor Tally has already called to check on you. The only reason you aren’t seeing her today is because I promised we’d check in with Ryan on the way through town.”
Jerking out of his hold, Caila looked at him and realized her vision had been temporarily blurred by the quick movement. Frick-fracking hell, that hurt. Note to self, don’t make sudden movements until this damned headache abates. His hand was back in place before her vision cleared, the touch as calming as it was arousing. “You think I can’t see the pain in your eyes, baby? That I’m not watching every move you make?” She didn’t doubt that he was studying her like a damned bug under a microscope; all the Morgan men were infuriatingly observant. Reaching around her, he slowly reclined the back of her seat and pulled a blanket from somewhere behind her. Tucking the soft fleece around her, he rolled his jacket and slipped it behind her neck, cradling her head so she’d be able to rest without her head snapping from side to side as they drove the mountain curves into Pine Creek.
Kip stroked the side of her face, the calloused pads of his fingers soothing her despite her frustration. “Close your eyes and rest. We’ll be home before you know it.”
Home. Caila couldn’t wait to be home. Her first order of business was to find her dad. She had to
convince him to see a doctor. Damn, he could be so stubborn sometimes. It wasn’t going to be easy to persuade him, but at this point, she wasn’t going to give him any chance to argue. This wasn’t the triumphant return she’d hoped for, but she couldn’t wait to drive through Pine Creek, settle into her favorite booth at the diner, and watch her neighbors pass by the window.
The gentle motion of Kip’s truck would have been too much movement without his jacket holding her head still. How had he known that? Caila wondered if her dad would be surprised to see her and how she was going to convince him to see a doctor. She’d noticed he was slipping, but she obviously hadn’t fully understood how serious his condition had become. The fact a bank in Denver was trying to sell their small ranch was proof of how inattentive she’d been. Shame rolled over her, and she felt a tear slide into her hair. She’d been so focused on completing her education she’d neglected her one and only family member. Damn it to doorknobs, she probably deserved the headache threatening to make her skull explode.
Kip stole glances at Caila at every opportunity. Her emotions played across her pale face despite how close she drifted to the edge of sleep. Debating the merits of stopping at the hospital so Ryan could check on Caila, Kip weighed the benefit of ensuring she was alright against disturbing her restless sleep.
In the end, he could tell the pain didn’t seem to be releasing its grip on her, and that worried him. She’d be pissed, but her safety trumped everything else. Pulling into the small facility’s parking lot, he tapped a quick text to Ryan before moving around to the passenger side of the truck.