by Dace Everan
Roark shrugged. “Maybe one day. I don’t think she’s quite ready for that.”
Harley scoffed. How dare he answer that for her! “What would you know?” she muttered, annoyed and getting more annoyed as the seconds passed.
Roark raised a brow at her. “A lot, you?” he asked back.
Harley grunted, shoving off his lap. “I know I don’t want to be here and would appreciate you taking me home now, before you go getting it in your head to get shit-faced and I’m stuck walking,” she uttered.
Roark shook his head. “Not getting shit-faced, and no. You wanted to know how it worked. Lucky for you, Dan’s not shy, and neither am I.”
Harley’s breath stopped, and she stared at him. He was seriously going to show her how it worked between them? How he shared himself with a man? Her tummy quivered and her pussy wept.
Chapter Nine
Dan chuckled, setting his drink aside. “Ah, now I know why you showed up, you dog,” he replied.
Roark grinned. “Missed you, you know that, Dan,” he replied confidently.
Dan grinned, eyes landing on Harley. “You want to watch.”
Harley shook her head. This was wrong. She shouldn’t watch these two be intimate. That was between them. She shouldn’t even be a part of that.
Roark stared at her. “Or if you would like, you can join us,” he offered. He would always leave that option open for her. She was a woman, and a woman who needed to experience everything to the fullest.
Harley shook her head. “You can’t bring me here and invite me to join you and your boyfriend!” She was outraged. She didn’t even know who this man was in front of her! Oh God, would he share her with others on a whim? Was she seriously that expendable to him? Was her body that expendable?
Dan burst out in laughter. “Boyfriend? Sorry, sugar, the relationship between Roark and me is just a bit different than that.”
Harley’s jaw dropped. What crazy frickin’ world had she stepped into? She shook her head, looking at Roark. “I need to go home, Roark,” she uttered, turning on her heel.
Roark bounded to his feet. “Harley? Wait, what the hell?” He glanced at Dan over his shoulder, following Harley from the room. He caught her in the front entry. He grabbed her by the elbow, bringing her about-face. “Harley?”
Harley sobbed, shaking her head. This was too much. She couldn’t even begin to understand what the hell was going on. Her world was spiralling out of control and she just wanted to go home and sleep. Shit, why couldn’t it be like it was before this last gig?
Roark took in her state and couldn’t believe what he saw. Absolute terror. Her hands shook and her eyes were teary eyed. His heart sank. He had caused her to feel and look this way. He hugged her close.
“Why are you pushing this all on me, Roark? All I want is to have sex with you! I don’t want you to spank me or tie me up or share me with your lover or boyfriend or whatever Dan is to you!” She tried to pull from his arms, but he only tightened his grip. “Roark, release me!” She struggled to escape his fierce grip.
“No…Shit, Harley…We’ll go, then.” Harley stopped her struggling. Her teary gaze met his and the sadness he saw in those depths tore at him. Roark cupped her face in his large hands. “I thought this is what you wanted?”
Harley shook her head. “I asked a simple question. Couldn’t you just tell me?”
Roark released a breath. “Hard to share in words what Dan and I share, Harley…Could you honestly tell another soul how you shared yourself with another?”
Harley grimaced. She supposed he had a point. “I…Why does it have to be this way, Roark?”
Roark wanted to argue the question with her but he couldn’t. He grasped her raven locks and held her close. “No more, then. Just me and you and how you want it, Harley,” he promised. He was done trying to shove his life on hers. She wanted something, and he was failing miserably in delivering it. Harley looked at him, biting her lower lip between her teeth. A lonely tear rolled down her cheek. Roark swiped his thumbs over her cheekbones. “I just need to go talk to Dan.”
Harley nodded, guilt filling her. Roark had brought her here to share a part of his self, and she had shut him out. She wiped at more tears that rolled down her face. Why was she feeling these emotions?
Roark reached into his pocket. “You go start the car. I’ll be out in a minute.”
* * * *
Dan looked up as Roark entered the room. “Some girl you got there, Roark,” he murmured.
Roark nodded, crossing straight to him. “Stand,” he ordered. Dan did as he was bid. Roark hugged him close. “I’m sorry, Dan.”
Dan smiled, nuzzling Roark’s neck and inhaling his masculine scent. “Nothing to be sorry about…She’s beautiful.”
Roark nodded. Indeed she was. “I can’t get her out of my head, man.”
Dan wrapped his arms around Roark, hugging him close. “I can’t blame you…word of advice, Sir.” Roark smiled, nodding. Dan leaned back to look his longtime Master in the eyes. Something he would not have done before this past year. Roark smiled, his hand coming to rest on Dan’s chiseled cheek. He was proud that his ever-so-obedient sub had finally established the courage to look him in the eye. In all the years they had known each other, Dan had always been too insecure with himself and his standing to do that. “Take it at her pace…You have a way of pushing people. I think you need to take it slow with her. She…something seems off. She panics without reason. Maybe she doesn’t want this lifestyle?” No master ever wanted to hear that, but perhaps it was something Roark needed to hear.
Roark nodded. “Thank you, Dan. I will not take your words lightly, and yes. She does panic.” Dan sighed. He was going to miss his Master Roark. He loved Roark. Roark dipped down, brushing his lips against Dan’s. “We’ll come to visit, Dan. Not putting you out of my life…love you.”
Dan smiled. “Thank you, Roark.”
Harley was silent the drive back to her place. Roark in deep thought of how he could handle the situation. Vanilla sex? Shit, he couldn’t remember the last time he had had sex without some spanking or tying a woman down and taking her any which way he wanted. He furrowed his brow. He should have eased her in. He tightened his grip on the wheel. “I’m sorry I wrecked your get-together with Dan,” she whispered from beside him. Roark glanced at her. “I took you there to meet him. Whether something happened or not was in your hands, Harley.”
Harley released a long breath and hugged her arms around her middle. “I don’t feel good, Roark…I wanna go home,” she whispered.
Roark reached over, unfolding one arm and clasping her hand. “Be there shortly,” he assured.
* * * *
Roark scanned through her contacts until Layle’s number came up. He pressed “call” and waited.
“Hey, Harley!” greeted Layle’s chipper voice.
“Sorry, not Harley. Something’s wrong, Layle. She’s pale and has been sleeping for some time now.”
“Roark…? What do you mean, pale?”
“I don’t know. We went out earlier, and on the way home, she said she wasn’t feeling good. We got in and she passed out.” He could hear Layle’s breath catch.
“I’ll be there shortly.”
Roark pressed the “end” button and looked at Harley, still in heavy sleep on the bed. His brow furrowed in concern. He had never seen her like this in the line of duty. She had always been on top of her game. His hands clenched, and his heart cringed. He didn’t like her like this.
* * * *
Layle caressed Harley’s cool forehead, a small smile crossing her lips. “She’s just tired, Roark…She gets like that after she gets back. It takes her a few days for her body to catch up to her and then she crashes hard for a few days.”
Roark frowned. “You mean she sleeps, then gets up and does a normal living thing, than sleeps and repeats?”
Layle shook her head. “No, I mean she’ll sleep for a day, get up and eat, and then go back to bed. She’ll do t
hat for the next few days, and then she’ll be ready to go.” She shrugged her shoulders like it was the norm.
Roark supposed in her case it was. He nodded. “Okay…I guess I’ll stay here then.” He cleared his throat. “If you think that would be okay? She’s not gonna get all mad, is she?” Shit, he couldn’t believe he was asking Layle. Self-doubt was not something he did well.
Layle smiled. “She’ll be weirded out when she gets up and you’re watching her TV. She seriously thinks you’re really pushy in that area.”
Roark grinned. “We’ve discussed that. I don’t want to leave her here alone, and I can’t see Laird completely willing to let you sit with her.”
Layle giggled. “Nope, I told him what she’s like, and he already said if I need to be here for her, I can…” She looked at Roark. “I trust you to keep an eye on her. That’s if you want to, of course? If not, then I will stay.”
Roark shook his head. “No, I can stay. I might have to duck out sometime tomorrow, but I’m good to be here.”
Layle nodded. “I’ll come after lunch, and you can have time to do what you have to.”
Roark nodded. “Thanks.” He turned his gaze back to Harley. Shit, he already missed her snarky comments.
Layle sighed, leaning close to Harley and hugging her close. “She likes hugs, and if she starts grimacing, just talk and she’ll calm down. She has nightmares when she gets back.”
Roark nodded. He could understand those. He was sure he had been having one the first night here and had heard her voice calming him.
Roark settled in on the couch and stared at the roof. Layle was laying with Harley, hugging her close and whispering to her. He had felt out of place in there with the two, as if he was intruding on their private time. He released a long, drawn breath and closed his eyes. He wondered if this was a part of her functioning. Did they really keep tabs on her, and how?
He narrowed his eyes, rising and crossing to the curtain-covered windows, easing a crack and peeking out. His top lip twitched as he spotted Job, her neighbor, sitting on the fire escape. The man was huddled over and looked like he was reading a tablet. Fucking weirdo. He stepped back from the window and glanced around the room. His head cocked at the layout of the apartment. He supposed it was what any apartment would look like. The last one he had lived in had been more cramped. This one was wide open. He gave his head a shake. He was getting paranoid.
He plopped back on the couch and waited. Eventually he heard the shift of metal outside and assumed Job was headed back to his own apartment. He listened and heard the slide of a window, a thump, then soft footsteps. Shit, it was amazing how much a person could hear in these apartments.
He grinned to himself. He missed his house up in the hills. The sound of trees dancing in the winds. Coyotes howling in the distance. Maybe when Harley woke up and was ready to move again, he would invite her out.
* * * *
Harley hauled herself to the kitchen, glancing at the television and the horror flick that seemed to be taking place on it. “What in the hell are you watching?” she uttered, appreciating the beautiful head that rested on the end of her couch.
“Was getting bored of fighting and house improvements. Shit, I have revamping ideas for my house to do before winter hits. Horror flick aliens fighting other aliens.” He shrugged, tilting his head and looking at her. “Want me to make you something to eat?”
Harley chuckled. “No.” She grabbed a bottle of water and a yogurt and, on the way to him, nabbed a spoon from the cutlery drawer. She looked him over, raising her eyebrows. His body took up the entire length of the couch. She shrugged and settled on his tummy. His hand fell to her naked thigh and both settled in and watched as she ate her yogurt in small mouthfuls.
Chapter Ten
Roark watched her from the corner of his eye. She ate, and her gaze was trained on the TV. His thumb caressed her thigh, and she seemed comfortable with the touch. She set aside her empty container and settled back, her eyes back on the television.
“How long have I been asleep?” she asked, not looking at him.
“A day and a half…was just gonna make me some pasta.”
Harley glanced at him. “You’ve been here this whole time?” she uttered. Surprise filled her. She’d thought for sure he would leave. She was sure she had woken once and saw Layle sitting in the corner of her room, reading a book.
Roark smiled. “No, I had to go back to the hospital this afternoon. Layle came and snuggled you.”
Harley smiled. “You snuggle me, too, or do perverted things to me while I was passed out?” she teased.
Roark chuckled giving her leg a squeeze. “Yes and no.”
Harley looked at him. “Yes, you did perverted things, and no you didn’t snuggle?”
Roark sat up, shifting her onto his lap, coming face-to-face with her. “I prefer you to be awake when I do perverted things. Yes, I snuggled with you. You talk a lot in your sleep. Who’s Brandon?”
Harley frowned. “Brandon?” She didn’t know who Brandon was. She searched her memory. She shrugged. “Have no idea. What did I say about him?”
Roark grunted. Jealousy was an ugly trait to have. “That you loved him and would miss him.”
Harley blushed. Oh God. Roark had had to listen to her say words like that about another man! No way. She shook her head. “I don’t know any Brandon.” She grimaced. “Lots of things I’ve been forgetting lately,” she admitted, her gaze darting away from his. She didn’t like this, not remembering things.
Roark caressed her arm. “Layle said she was gonna show up tonight to hang with you. Laird wanted to talk to me about something.”
Harley frowned at that. “You’re going to the club to get your spank on?”
Roark right out laughed. “No. No getting my spank on. Only one woman I want to spank,” he declared.
Harley smiled. “Is she cute?”
“Very.”
“Short?”
“A little on the short side, bossy as hell,” he offered, his hand caressing her shoulder.
“You like bossy?”
Roark chuckled, his hand circling her neck, his thumb caressing her jaw. “Nah…I would prefer to boss her around a little. You know, bend over, spread your legs. Hold tight.”
Harley grinned. The things those words did to her were amazing. “What if she asked you to bend over, spread your legs and hold tight?”
Roark roared out in laughter finally calming. “I would be a little worried. Does she have toys involved, or does she have intentions to get better access to my balls?”
Harley burst out in a fit of girly laughter, and Roark’s dick jumped to life at the sweet laughter. Wow, Harley laughing an actual girl laugh and a genuine smile on her face. It was a sight that he would cherish for the rest of his life.
“Balls, man,” she declared when she calmed.
Roark grinned. “I would bend over, spread, and hold on for her, then.”
Harley stared at him. He honestly meant it. She had seen him right-out blunt about his opinion on many matters and this one. He totally meant what he said. She cupped his cheek. “I hope she returns the favor, then,” she whispered.
Roark leaned closer, his breath warm on her face. “I hope she trusts me enough to let me.”
Harley leaned into him, her eyes darting over his features. She loved the specks of grey in his eyes. That was the color that made her insides turn all wonky. She licked her dry lips. “I think now that she’s had some rest, she just might,” she whispered, closing her eyes. That wasn’t very reassuring.
Roark grinned. He pecked her on the lips, leaned back a bit, and met her gaze. “I think a good meal under her belt would do her a world of good. That and some girl time with her Layle,” he offered.
Harley grinned, hugging her arms around his neck. The man was learning and learning quickly. “Yup, I think you have something there,” she hummed, relaxing as his big arms circled her, holding her close.
“Thank you for sn
uggling with me, Roark,” she whispered.
Roark grinned against her hair. “Anytime,” he replied.
* * * *
Layle crawled right into bed with her. Harley sighed and snuggled close. “We’re such girls, you know that, right?” she replied dryly as Layle giggled.
“I don’t mind,” she replied, snuggling close and finding that familiar comfy spot.
Harley smiled, playing with strands of Layle’s hair. “You seriously like this Laird?”
Layle nodded. “I think I seriously love him,” she offered, closing her eyes. God, she had missed Harley.
“Cool, as long as he makes you happy.”
Layle made tiny circles on Harley’s shoulder. “He does,” she assured.
Harley nodded, and silence fell over the two, for several long moments, maybe even an hour. They would never know time was endless with them.
“How are things between you and Roark?” Layle wasn’t sure if she should ask. She knew she wanted to, but Harley had the tendency to jump when something she didn’t want to discuss came up.
Harley hemmed and hawed for a moment. She petted Layle’s silky hair and held still. “Good…I…want him like no other. That’s a friggin’ given, but his kinky tendencies? I will never make him happy in that area.”
Layle peeked at her. “It’s not a lost cause, Harley. He likes submissive tendencies. I asked Laird about a few things. He and I have worked our way through our differences.” Her eyes went wide. “He wears the horrid masks that freak the shit out of me! I’ve seen them and even have reached the point of touching them.”
Harley studied her friend’s face. She knew what those masks did to Layle. How they churned her insides in fear and made her nauseous.
“He promises never to push that on me. He’s a sadist. I can take so much. I love getting flogged, but to have his whip touch me…? I’m not sure if I will ever do that.”