by Megan Slayer
****
Dean sat on the sofa and stared at the place his girl had been. She’d left. What the hell? He patted his pocket. The collar weighed heavy in its hiding spot. He’d planned on collaring her. Once she came down from subspace, he had the intention of offering the simple chain and his undying devotion. Did he love her? As much as he could. The last sub he’d collared hadn’t wanted his love. She’d only wanted to be spanked and exhibited. He doubted the same thing would happen with Andi—well, he had until now.
He didn’t understand what she meant about love. He should’ve asked for a better explanation, but once he’d said he wasn’t capable, she’d shut down. Anything he would’ve said would’ve been ignored.
Still, the idea of her having a boyfriend annoyed him. He knew she’d have someone outside of the club, but he didn’t want to share her. She was his. Was. Now she belonged to Trey. He groaned. The only man he knew named Trey was a former classmate whose father was a politician. Would he be the one making Andi happy? Dean hoped not. He hadn’t been able to stand Trey in school and doubted the man had gotten any more tactful with age.
He could be wrong. Trey might not be the same guy and could be the best thing to happen to Andi. Would this new man give her what she needed? She hadn’t seemed confident when she’d answered him.
Fuck.
He’d have to find someone else. Talk about impossible. Andi was a rare gem. She’d not only responded well, but she buoyed his spirits. Her smile warmed him, and her devotion until now had wriggled under his skin.
But she wanted love.
Could he love her? Yes. He already did. He also hated to share. But he refused to love someone from the club. Someone who didn’t see the different sides of him. That’s what he hadn’t been able to get her to understand. If he declared his love, then the relationship would have to leave the club. Would she be okay with that? He wasn’t sure, but now he’d never know since she’d already made up her mind to leave.
Besides, he had other things to worry about, namely his job on the city council. Most people in Cridersville didn’t care that he owned a fetish club because they tended not to notice his association. Now that he was on city council, they only wanted him to do the best he could for the city. Would Andi be able to see the man behind the crop and accept him as a councilman, or was this really a boon? He’d gotten out of explaining his dual jobs, and having a relationship expected to be more than complicated.
He left the couch, then abandoned the collar on the bondage table. He tucked the butt plug into the soapy water, the deposited the other toys in the drawer beneath the table. He didn’t want to use the collar or toys with anyone else. Right now, he didn’t want to look at the objects. Unless something major happened, the Andi chapter of his life was over and not going to be opened again. Shit.
Chapter Two
Andi played with her engagement ring and waited in the foyer of Trey’s building for him to respond to her pressing the buzzer. In the last two months, she and Trey had gotten engaged and announced the upcoming nuptials. They spent nearly every day together. He kept pushing to get to the wedding within the next month. She hadn’t wanted to move so quickly. In the last three days, he’d given her the cold shoulder when she called.
He hadn’t shown up to greet her, which wasn’t like him. He’d agreed to meet with her the last time they’d talked, but that was three days ago. Had he forgotten? She pressed the button and continued to wait. He had to let her through the security doors or come down for her. Yet, he wasn’t responding.
She glanced around the foyer and cursed him under her breath. Where was he? She checked her phone in case he’d called and she’d missed it. Nope. No notifications. He’d probably forgotten.
The door behind her opened. Salisa, Trey’s next-door neighbor, strode into the foyer. “Hey ya. Is Trey keeping you waiting?” She keyed in the code, then tugged on the handle. “Come on. He’s probably in the shower spiffing himself up for you.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” A lump formed in the pit of her stomach. If he wasn’t coming down, then something was wrong. Trey always escorted her to his apartment. Where Sir commanded in the playroom, Trey had to control everything. She tended to chalk it up to him being in the public eye. If situations got out of control, someone would post it on social media. He didn’t want the family to be caught unaware. Fine. But he’d taken his need to control to a new level. He knew what she wore, where she went, and who she spent time with. Him not being there troubled her.
“I heard him talking. He’s so loud.” Salisa waved her hand, then pressed the button for the elevator. “Anyway, he was talking about the wedding. Girl, is it really going to be that big? A thousand guests? I know he knows everyone and his father is a congressman, but still.”
She joined Salisa in the elevator. The last she knew, there would only be a couple hundred guests. “Maybe he got his numbers wrong.” The car ascended, and her stomach dropped. “We talked about having a small wedding. He probably was repeating what his mother said. She’s convinced it should be huge.” The doors opened, and she stepped into the corridor with Salisa.
“I don’t know.” Salisa walked with Andi to Trey’s door. “Hey, I’ll see you. I’m still on the invite list, right?”
“Sure are.” She waved. “Thanks for getting me up here.”
“Anytime.” Salisa disappeared into her apartment, leaving Andi alone in the hallway.
Andi stood in front of his door and debated what to do. Knock? Try the knob? She didn’t have a key. She tilted her head and listened. Was that a voice? Maybe he was in the shower. She grasped the handle and pushed. The door moved, and the sound of voices increased. She could’ve sworn she heard grunting and groaning, too.
“Trey.” The woman moaned. “Oh God.”
Andi’s blood ran cold. This was the reason he hadn’t come down for her—he had someone else there. She rushed through the apartment looking for Trey and the mystery woman. When she reached the bedroom, she held onto the doorframe.
Jenn, Trey’s secretary at the mayor’s office, sat on Trey’s thighs. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders and her breasts bounced as she rode him. Trey gazed up at her, his lips parted and his brow furrowed.
Andi’s heart sank. She’d loved this man—or at least thought she had—and now she knew the truth. He wasn’t faithful. No wonder he wasn’t calling her or touching base. He was already busy. She worked the engagement ring off her finger. No point in keeping the jewelry.
“Trey,” Jenn said. “Oh.” She shivered. “Fuck me.”
Gag me. Andi shook her head. She should be upset, but instead just felt empty. The tears she’d expected didn’t come.
Trey opened his eyes. “Fuck, yeah.”
Andi sighed and threw the ring at him. The jewelry landed on Trey’s chest. He switched his gaze from Jenn to Andi.
“Shit.” Trey struggled to sit up. “Andi.”
Jenn covered her breasts and glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened.
“Bye, Trey,” Andi said. Why argue with him? He wanted someone else, even if only for a few minutes. She turned on her heel and marched out of the apartment. She hurried to the elevator and within a few moments was on the ground floor. She didn’t look back, even after she reached her car.
Part of her wanted to cry. This was the end of the relationship. She’d invested time and energy into the pairing. The rest of her didn’t care. She’d said she loved him, but she hadn’t meant the words. She’d settled for Trey. He claimed he’d give her a good life. They’d be in the public eye, but she’d have stability. Their life would be full of respect. He hadn’t said a thing about love.
She climbed into her car and stared out the windshield. She wasn’t sure what to think, but relief washed over her.
“Andi.” Trey rapped his knuckles on the driver’s side window. “Look at me.”
Why bother? She never wanted to see him again. She knew where she stood.
He slapped the ring on the windshield
. “What is this about?”
She rolled the window down but hit the locks. “It’s a ring. You gave it to me, and I’m giving it back.” She swept her gaze over him. He wore the dingy brown robe he swore he couldn’t part with and his deck shoes. Knowing him, he was probably naked underneath the robe. She wasn’t sure what she’d seen in him other than he fit society’s standards for handsome—tall, blond, and good-looking. Right now, he seemed drab and a little depressing.
“Why?” he snapped. His lips curled in a sneer. “What did I do?”
“You were screwing Jenn. I see no reason to stick around, so I’m leaving.” She twisted the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life. “I don’t need the ring because I’m not marrying you. What more do you need to know?”
“Why are you angry? You had the sire,” Trey growled. “Oh, I mean Sir. You cheated and it was okay.”
“I never cheated.” She glared at him and grasped the steering wheel. “I never had sex with him.”
“You only showed him your entire body, let him abuse you, and didn’t blink an eye.” He pounded his hands on the window ledge. “My family will be devastated. They’ll probably sue you for breach of contract.”
“Breach…” She tamped her anger down, but not by much. “For cheating on you? Or for the wedding that won’t be happening? Why don’t you take your thousand guests and have a great time? I’m not going to be there, and I refuse to take responsibility for this break-up. You screwed around, so screw you.”
“My family has invested a lot of time and money in this wedding. You could’ve been part of the Donaldson family, but you can’t accept I have a mistress. Father does. Grandfather did. I don’t see the issue. You’d be taken care of and would have whatever you want. I’d get what I want. It’s win-win.”
“I don’t care. I want to be loved, not kept. I’ll bet Jenn would rather be the only woman in your bed, too. Is she? If she’s not, then she’ll be thrilled to know she’s not.” She shook her head. “Keep the ring and explain your situation to your family. I’m out. Goodbye, Trey. I hope you get what you really want.” She rolled the window up.
“You can’t. Don’t you drive away. We’re not finished here,” he shouted. “You’re making a scene and a mistake.”
She was driving. He was the one having a fit in the parking lot. She sped out of the lot and down the street. Despite feeling a bit numb over the end of the relationship, she breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to scream “I told you so” to herself. She’d known down to her gut that Trey wasn’t worth her time, but she’d thought she needed the stability he had in order to survive. But she chided herself for settling. She might not be gorgeous, thin, or even have a ton of money, but she had her pride. Screw Trey and his silly family rules. Screw their entitlement issues. She’d get by without him just fine.
She drove home, then parked in the gravel spot beside the house. Her best friend, Mary, pulled in behind her. Andi climbed out of the driver’s seat and closed the door while waiting for Mary. “Hi.”
“Where have you been?” Mary left her car. “Did you forget?”
She stood beside her vehicle. “I sure did forget. What was it that I didn’t remember?” After leaving Trey’s, her mind went blank. “We had plans?”
“Uh, yeah. You’re supposed to be coming with me to the boutique to pick out your wedding dress, then a trip down to the Underground to buy toys for the wedding night and beyond.” Mary narrowed her eyes. “Something is different about you. Hair and makeup look the same. I know you’ve lost weight because you haven’t been eating—which I told you was bad. What did you do since yesterday?”
“I kind of lost a lot of weight.” She held up her left hand. “Like two-hundred twenty pounds of dead weight.”
“You dumped Trey?” Mary hugged her. “Oh. Thank you.” She bounced with Andi in her embrace. “I hated him.”
“Oh?” She wriggled free from her best friend. “Wish you’d have mentioned that before.”
“I can hate someone down to their core, but you loved him and it wasn’t my place to say anything. I wasn’t the one who would be marrying him. I hoped there was a secret side to him that was great and I was just lucky enough to see the bad sides.” Mary shrugged. “Okay, I thought he was a dick, but if he made you happy and treated you well, then I wouldn’t stick my nose in.”
“Well, I won’t be marrying him, and you weren’t wrong on him being a dick.” She slid her phone out of her pocket. “Let me call the boutique. I don’t need a dress, so I don’t need the appointment.”
“And your mother’s would’ve been perfect.” She walked with Andi over to the front steps. “I’m sorry, but I knew you didn’t love him.”
“You’re right.” The call rang through. Andi held up her hand. “Just a second,” she murmured. “Hello.”
“Gibson’s Bridal. How may I direct your call?”
“Hi. I have an appointment for this afternoon for Andrea McCarron,” Andi said. “I need to cancel.”
“You’re the four-fifteen. I’m sorry to hear you’re canceling. May I ask why?” the woman asked.
“We decided to end the engagement and relationship. Since I’m not getting married, I don’t need a dress.” Andi leaned against Mary. “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too. Do the Donaldsons know?” the woman asked.
“They will. I’m leaving telling them to Trey since he’s the one who ended the engagement,” Andi said. “His family, his choice to tell them.”
“Very well. I’m sorry you won’t be able to make the appointment, but I understand. These times can be hard. Can I reschedule you or completely cancel?”
She sighed. “Nope. Cancel away.”
“Then good luck, Ms. McCarron, and thank you for thinking of Gibson’s. Remember us when you’re in the market for your dress,” the woman said. “We’ll help you plan your big day. Good afternoon.”
“Will do.” She hung up, then turned to Mary. “I highly doubt I go to that boutique. They were nice, but I can’t afford those dresses.”
“And I still say your mother’s dress is more your style.” Mary fiddled with her phone. “You said you wanted to go retro or second-hand.” She rested her elbows on her knees. “That told me you weren’t going to work out with Trey. He needed the biggest, fastest, shiniest, etc. If it wasn’t new, he didn’t know what to do with it.”
“Yet, he seemed to want me.” She shook her head. “I’m nothing like Jenn.”
“So? Why should you be?”
“Because I wanted to get out of my rental house and into a stable situation. I thought if I had someone to take care of me, I’d be set. I was wrong.” She met Mary’s gaze. “I wanted to travel and not think about costs or worry if I’ll have enough for my car payment. I wanted to do like Sir said and fit into a box that wasn’t made for me.”
“Understandable to a degree. We all want a few more dollars, but you’re a good artist and you’re smart. You don’t need a man to take care of you.” Mary draped her arm around Andi’s shoulders. “You need one to cherish you and one that understands you, but yeah, don’t settle. You wouldn’t have been happy in that huge house. You’d never be able to dye your hair pink or finally get that tattoo you’ve considered for the last ten years. Forget the thick makeup or posing in the nude for another charity calendar because I begged you to.”
“True.” She laughed. “We have a lot of fun, and I wouldn’t like being held down that much.”
“Trey would’ve made you miserable.”
“I see that now.” She didn’t want to talk about her now ex-boyfriend any longer.
“Then why don’t we go toy shopping? It’ll take your mind off the jerk and hello … dildos!” Mary hopped to her feet. “I’m dying to find a fun new vibrator.”
She laughed again but didn’t leave the porch. “Dildos do make everything better.”
“Or vibrators.” Mary shrugged, then offered her hands. “Come on. Plugs, beads, clips … the possibilities are endle
ss.”
“Agreed.” She stood and brushed her ass off. “Are you going to drive?”
“Sure.” Mary bounded over to her car. “I hear there will be a demo, too.”
“At the Underground?” She rounded the hood. “Really?”
“Uh-huh. They had a sale on vibrators—I think—and having a live person demonstrating it would sell the items better.” Mary plopped behind the wheel. “Although, I don’t know if I want to watch someone use a vibrator—not in person. I’m all for watching a porn with that, though.”
“Mary.” She wanted to interrupt her friend, but once Mary got going on any topic, all Andi could do was hold on. She sighed again. The Underground was where Sir worked. She doubted he’d be the one doing the demo or even be in the store portion of the building, but still. “Who is doing the demonstration?” If it was Sir, she’d beg off. If not, she’d be okay, but leery.
“No clue.” Mary backed down the driveway, then sped down the street. “Let’s do this. Those butt plugs won’t buy themselves.”
“What if I see Sir?” She had to know.
“You smile, wave, and go about your business. If he beckons you over, then you go. If not, then you keep your chin up and strut.” Mary nodded. “That’s what you do.”
“I wish I could be brave like you.”
“You are,” Mary said. She stopped at the traffic light. “Honey, you’re braver than you think.”
“I’m not.” She knew her limits. In the playroom, she could withstand a lot, but in public … no.
“You are. If you weren’t, then you wouldn’t have dumped Trey.” Mary sped down the side street to the Underground. “Now, let’s buy those toys.”
She could’ve argued, but why? Mary made sense, and they were already in the car. Andi followed her friend into the building. She needed a few new toys and a pick-me-up. She might as well find one at the Underground, but she hoped Sir wasn’t there. She paid little attention as Mary drove across town. The only thing she could think about was not running into Sir. When they arrived at the Underground, she kept to the store portion of the club. Anyone of age could buy toys there, but only members could venture into the playground areas. She still had her membership, but she didn’t want the reminder of her failed relationship.