He shook the other woman’s hand. She was gorgeous, obviously smart, and he felt absolutely nothing for her.
All he could think about was Juliet’s sweet smile.
“Your parents said you’re considering moving here,” Yvonne said as they all sat for before-dinner drinks.
“They’re wrong,” he said with a tight smile. “I’m happy where I am.”
His mother let out a nervous laugh as Yvonne gave him a startled look.
“Xavier feels some loyalty to the town where he grew up. But his talent is wasted there.”
“There are sick people in Wishingbone, Mother,” he replied tightly.
“Wishingbone, what a funny name.” Yvonne laughed, his parents joining her.
Xavier tapped his fingers against the arm of his chair, unamused.
When they went through for dinner, his mother pulled him aside. “You could make an effort, Yvonne is a lovely woman.”
“I’m not interested in a relationship with a stranger, Mother,” he said coldly. “Or in moving here.”
She sniffed. “You can’t stay in that awful town.”
“I can and I want to. I’m leaving tomorrow afternoon and I’d like to speak to your Doctor about the biopsy results.”
“The results aren’t back yet.”
He noticed she couldn’t meet his gaze.
“They should be by tomorrow, or I’ll call the lab myself.”
“Don’t do that,” she said sharply.
“All right,” he agreed. “But I’m leaving tomorrow and if they’re not back by then, you’ll have to send it to me.”
“Xavier, you cannot just leave.” She put her hand on his arm, her nails digging into his forearm.
“I have to go home, Mother. I have responsibilities.”
She made a scoffing noise. “I cannot believe you’re wasting Yvonne’s time by not getting to know her.”
“I’m not interested in Yvonne. I have someone else I care about.”
He hadn’t realized how much he cared about her until now. His head hadn’t been in the right space. He still didn’t fully believe he deserved to be happy, deserved her.
And he wasn’t certain she could handle his need for control. Juliet was delicate and sweet. She wasn’t going to want to be tied up and spanked. To have him torture her with pleasure without letting her come for hours. To get down on her knees and suck him off.
But if he had to suppress those needs in order to have her? Wasn’t she worth that?
“Someone else? Who?”
No way was he telling his mother. He had to protect Juliet from her. From anyone who might harm her.
“I’m sorry you’re ill, mother. And that you’re not happy with me. But my life is my business.”
Tension eased from her as Brick returned to the table, she set her phone down after texting Xavier.
It wasn’t that Sterling wasn’t a nice guy. He seemed fine. But she didn’t know him well. Not like Brick or Elias. And he was so pretty that he was kind of intimidating.
Brick sat next to her.
“I’ll just go check on how Elias is doing with the dishes,” Sterling said hastily. “He forgets to rinse before he puts them in the dishwasher.”
When Sterling left, Brick turned to her, looking unsure. In fact, he’d been kind of weird since she arrived.
She wished he’d say something. This was starting to feel really awkward and she had no idea what to do next. She’d never been on a date before. Well, this wasn’t really a date. But . . . fuck. Did he want her to go?
“Hey, you okay?” He reached out and eased open her hand. “You’re going to hurt yourself.” He ran his thumb over the indents on her palm and she shivered.
Suddenly, he snatched his hand away. “Fuck. Sorry, didn’t mean to touch you.”
He didn’t want to touch her?
“I know you don’t like being touched.”
Ohhh. That. She picked up her whiteboard.
I don’t mind when you touch me.
“Really? You don’t?”
She gave him a self-conscious look.
It’s strangers I have trouble with.
“Oh. Right.” He was still smiling, but there was less joy in his face.
Shoot. She was messing this up.
But I liked your touch from the first day I met you.
She knew she was blushing and dropped her gaze, suddenly worried about his reaction. There was a gentle touch on her chin, and he turned her face towards his.
“That true?”
She nodded.
“I like your touch too,” he whispered. “You can touch me whenever you like.”
That’s good since I was going to touch you anyway.
“Oh, were you, Duchess?” A grin lit up his entire face. He leaned in toward her. “And just where would you like to touch me most?”
Her breath caught. Was she brave enough to tell him? She was tired of being a coward. To her shock, her finger moved up to his mouth.
His eyes widened and she heard him swallow. Heavily. “Yeah?”
She nodded.
“You want me to kiss you, Duchess?”
Well, she’d thought that was obvious, but she nodded. The more he made her wait, the more nervous she grew.
“You sure?”
Her bravery zapped out of her and she stood. But he reached up and lightly grabbed her wrist before she could run.
“Fuck. Sorry. I want to. I just want things clear between us.”
She guessed she could understand that.
“Watch a movie with me.”
A movie? Um, that wasn’t what she expected. She pointed at him then at herself.
“You and me, yes.” He cleared his throat, looking nervous. “Elias thought you might be okay with me taking his room in the main house.”
She nodded.
“Good.” He relaxed. “How about I grab my stuff? Won’t take me long and I’ll meet you in the living room. You choose the movie.”
Huh, and here she’d thought he would want to choose. But she’d try to choose something they’d both like.
Twenty minutes later, she was sitting on the huge sectional in the living room. She’d made a bowl of popcorn and had a movie up on the screen ready to go. Her nerves had grown to the point she felt ill.
She wished he’d just kissed her. Now she was worrying about what would happen next. Maybe he’d changed his mind. Maybe she’d freak out. Who knew? It wasn’t like she’d ever been kissed.
She’d grabbed a blanket for armor more than to keep her warm. She held it up over her until only her eyes peeked out.
When he came in, he paused, studying her. A tension came over her as she waited for him to say something. Slowly, he walked towards her. Instead of sitting on the sofa, he pulled the coffee table over and sat on it. His legs bracketed hers and he leaned forward until she got a hint of his aftershave.
Whatever it was, it was damn sexy and it made her insides stir. She’d only ever felt this way around Xavier.
Guilt filled her at the thought of Xavier. But she shouldn’t feel that way. They weren’t anything other than friends. That was the way he wanted it. She pushed Xavier from her mind. She shouldn’t think about him while she was with Brick. It was wrong to want both men. It wasn’t fair to Brick. It would hurt him. She would never want that.
She didn’t know how Brick’s ex had been stupid enough to let him go. But Juliet wasn’t that dumb.
If he wanted her . . . if he could deal with her quirks . . . then she was going to do her best to open up to him.
He set down a hoodie he was carrying on the sofa beside her.
“Feeling nervous?”
She nodded.
“Me too.”
Her eyes widened. He was nervous?
“I’m rarely nervous. Want to know why I am now?”
Um, yeah.
His gaze hit hers. And she sucked in a breath at the intensity she saw there.
“Because even though we�
�ve only known each other a few days, there’s something pulling us together.” He looked off into the distance. “Linda left me bitter. Angry. I don’t want to be that person. And around you, I feel more at peace, happier than I have for a long time.”
She lowered her blanket then reached out to touch his hand with hers.
“For you, I want to be a better person.”
He was a good person. Didn’t he know that?
“Know I’m not good enough for you. I jump to conclusions, let my temper get the best of me. But I’m gonna try to be better.”
Drat, where was her stupid whiteboard?
“Even if it’s only friendship you want.”
Stupid whiteboard . . . where had it gone?
Maybe she should talk to him. If he was willing to work on himself, then she should do the same.
She opened her mouth. But all that came out was a pained groan.
His eyes flared. “That wasn’t meant to scare you. We can be friends. Just friends.”
But she didn’t want to be friends. She wanted to be his. Irritated with herself, she smacked her hands against her thighs.
“What? Hell, no.” He grabbed her hands, stilling them. “No.”
That last ‘no’ was firm. And it made her pay attention. This was the Brick she knew. Not this more unsure side. She let out a breath, feeling more settled
Was it a good thing he could settle her so quickly?
She drew her hand free, searching around for her whiteboard and finding it under the blanket.
“This is unprofessional of me. Your brother won’t be pleased.”
Oh no. Reuben would lose his mind. She grimaced.
“Yeah, he didn’t strike me as the easy-going type.”
Brick ran soothing circles with his thumb around the palm of her free hand.
“We don’t need to talk about this now. I’d never expect more than you can give. You hold the reins.”
Frustration filled her. She knew he meant well. She didn’t want to immediately jump into something she wasn’t prepared for. But at the same time, she kind of needed for him to lead. Because she had no clue what she was doing.
“Mind if I sit beside you? Or would you rather I sit down there?” He nodded to the other end of the couch.
See. This is what she was talking about. Before today, he wouldn’t have hesitated to sit next to her. Or tell her what to do. Get bossy or grumpy.
And she liked that.
It sounded insane. But when he was grouchy and demanding, then he wasn’t treating her as though she was breakable. The way most people did.
Would a relationship change how you act towards me?
“Well, yeah, I guess.” He gave her a puzzled look.
Like you’ve been acting since you told me about your ex and apologized for being a jackass.
“I don’t think the word I’d use is jackass,” he grumbled. “And yeah, I’d treat you like you’re precious. It’s what you deserve.”
I don’t need to be treated like I’m defective.
He scowled at that. “Defective? Who the fuck said you were defective!”
Ahh, there he was. Relief filled her. And she found herself smiling.
“You think it’s funny, calling yourself defective? Now, you listen to me, baby girl . . .” she saw the moment he realized who he was talking to and he reined himself in.
Frustration filled her. She started writing again.
You’re treating me like I might break at a harsh word. I won’t.
He eyed her skeptically.
I just want to go back to how things were before you thought I was a liar.
Something came over his face and he leaned back. Frustration bit at her. It was so hard to communicate.
“So, you don’t want any sort of relationship other than a business one.”
She thunked her forehead with the palm of her hand. Wait, no, she was hitting the wrong person. She reached out and smacked her hand against his forehead.
“Right, we need a serious conversation about you hitting me,” he growled. Then he let out a huff of breath. “Fuck, this is harder than I thought.”
What? Trying to suppress your bossiness?
He stared down at what she’d written.
I’m not as fragile as I look. I won’t break if you growl at me. I just want you to be you.
Wipe. Write.
Because I like you.
He sucked in a breath. “Like like?”
She grinned.
“Fuck, you ever tell anyone I just said like like and I’ll spank your ass.”
Her face flushed and she was tempted to fan herself. Oh Lord. That was hot.
He was studying her closely.
“You really want to try a relationship?”
She hesitated then nodded shyly.
He placed his hands on the outside of her thighs. God, he was big. He made her feel so tiny. It probably should have scared her. But somehow, she knew he wouldn’t harm her.
“And you want me to be myself? That’s what I’m getting from this conversation.”
She nodded.
“You like that side of me,” he said arrogantly. “Because everyone else treats you like you’re fragile, don’t they?”
Shoot. He had noticed more than she’d thought.
She shrugged.
“Nope, you won’t be allowed to use the fact you can’t talk to me as a way of getting out of communicating,” he told her sternly.
Uh-oh, what beast had she unleashed?
I guess so.
He gave her a knowing look. Then he seemed to think something over. “There’re other things you don’t know about me.” He let out a breath. “You know that you were naughty today.”
She froze. What was he talking about? And what did that have to do with anything?
“You didn’t obey me when I told you to get back into the truck. As your bodyguard, I’m in charge of your safety. If I were a friend, I’d scold you.”
She wrinkled her nose.
He tapped it. “Don’t think I won’t still do it.”
But you were mean to me. I shouldn’t get a scolding on top of that.
“You’ll get more than that if you’re mine.”
She stilled, stared at him. Did he mean . . .
When he didn’t say anything more, she let out an impatient noise.
“Think you’ve figured it out already, but I’m going to be clear. I’m a Dominant. And if you were mine, then I’d want to make rules for you. And punish you if you broke them.”
Holy fuck. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. Thank God she was wearing a loose hoodie because her nipples felt like hard pebbles.
“Well, you haven’t run screaming or slapped me,” he said dryly, watching her intently. “Not sure if you’re horrified, shocked, or a combination of both.”
Not horrified.
“Okay, that’s good. You know much about BDSM?”
Only what I’ve read.
He raised an eyebrow. “Might want to see those books.”
Looking for pointers?
He grinned. “Never too old to learn something new.”
I dunno, you are so very, very old.
“Brat. I am not.” He gave her a mock-stern look. “Someone has their sassy pants on.”
No way was she showing him any of her stories with hardcore Doms in them. No need to give him ideas.
“Tomorrow, you’re going to show me your entire collection.”
Her eyes widened.
He nodded. “Then you can choose your favorite. We’ll read it together.”
Oh fuck.
“Juliet? You okay?” Concern filled his face. “Too much? Too fast?”
She shook her head.
“Sure?”
She nodded.
“I can tone things down. We can go as slow as you want.”
We might need to go slow. But I . . .
She chewed nervously on the end of the marker. Reaching out, he lifted her
chin. “You what?”
I don’t want you to tone anything down. I think I need your Dominant side as much as you need to let it out.
He studied her words for a long moment. “You ever been with a Dom?”
No.
“But you’ve thought about it? Thought you might be submissive?”
Her heart raced, skipped. Standing, she held out her hand to him. He raised his eyebrows.
I have something to show you.
He stood and slipped his hand into hers.
She could do this.
Or maybe she couldn’t. Because she couldn’t even make it out of the room, let alone up to the third floor. Her fingers started tingling and the urge to hide rushed through her.
“Hey, Duchess. Whoa, okay, breathe with me. You’re safe. You’re fine.”
Suddenly she found herself pulled against his chest, and instead of feeling panicked or suffocated, a feeling of safety stole over her. This was right. She sucked in a deep breath, and he held her until she calmed, not trying to push her for anything.
It was exactly what she needed.
“Whatever it is you think you need to show me, you don’t. Not yet, anyway. We go at your pace.”
She stiffened at that.
He ran his hand up and down her back. “Or not?” He drew her back, studying her. “Shit, Duchess, I’ve no idea what you’re thinking.”
He grabbed her whiteboard and pen.
“Tell me what’s going on. Now.”
Yikes. He meant business.
“You don’t get a pass on this, Juliet,” he told her firmly.
She bit her lip in frustration.
Just because I have issues doesn’t mean I’m not capable of making my own decisions.
He reared back as though she’d slapped him. “I didn’t mean to imply you were stupid.”
No, you didn’t!
She was making a hash of this.
I can make my own decisions, but that doesn’t mean I always want to be in charge.
“Right,” he said slowly. “So, what you’re saying is . . .”
I might need to go slow. But I don’t want to always be in control.
He let out a sigh. “That, I can work with.”
I feel safe with you.
His whole body softened. “Good.”
I’m sorry I can’t tell you everything.
“You will. There’s something else we need to discuss if we’re moving forward.”
Uh-oh. What?
Her Daddies’ Saving Grace Page 12