Ten months later

 

Callum stared at her, not quite believing his eyes. He stood in the elegant living room of Greg and Heather Hall’s large house in North Dallas and watched the woman holding court by the pool. The French doors that led from the living room out to the backyard were open, and he couldn’t mistake that laugh. The house was full and the party had spilled out into the warm night.

She was out there. Gabrielle. He couldn’t believe the change. His shy pet was the life of the party. Every man in the place was looking at his former submissive.

He didn’t blame them. No hetero man could miss those tits. They were rounder and higher than they’d been almost a year before. No way to miss the change in them. It hadn’t been brought on by exercise. No those sweet things had been surgically enhanced.

He could actually feel his blood pressure rising. How much of the money he’d given her had gone toward her boob job? The ten months they’d spent apart had brought about several changes in Gabrielle. Along with the vivacious personality and the tits of steel, she’d cut her long, luxurious hair. It was ridiculously short now, a boyish cut. He’d insisted she wear it long, down to her waist. He had loved the way it flowed down her back.

Had she cut it to spite him? An act of rebellion against the man she hadn’t been able to control?

“Cal?” A soft voice cut through ever-darkening thoughts. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

He had to force himself to turn from Gabrielle in order to pay attention to his hostess. Heather Hall was a tall, willowy blonde. Her model-perfect looks were moving past worried and into full-on panic. He managed to give her a little smile. What was going on in her head to have her look so worried? “Have I ever missed Greg’s birthday?”

“You were supposed to be in Atlanta.”

Perhaps seeing Gabrielle after all this time was unnerving him, but he would have sworn he detected a note of accusation in her tone.

He shrugged and turned his attention back to Gabrielle. She laughed at something a big, dark-haired man said, the sound practically musical to his ears. Had she ever laughed like that when they’d been together, a laugh of complete, unselfconscious joy? She leaned in toward the other, her hand coming out to touch his shoulder. Cal had the sudden urge to beat the shit out of the stranger.

“I was told you would be in Atlanta for at least another couple of days. You didn’t RSVP,” Heather continued.

Yes, there was all kinds of accusations there. “I’m sorry about the RSVP. I absolutely should have. As for not being in Atlanta, I got the deal closed early. All of Greg’s paperwork is done. He’s thrilled with the terms I managed to negotiate.”

Greg Hall was one of the country’s up-and-coming hotel magnates. His line of boutique and specialty hotels had made him a fortune and brought Cal an enormous amount of business.

“More than thrilled.” Greg walked up behind his wife. He looked Heather straight in the eyes. “Is there a reason you’re being ridiculously rude to Callum, dear?”

Cal nearly smiled at the deep tone his best friend’s voice suddenly took on. It sent Heather’s eyes submissively down. Her mouth became a flat line, her shoulders rigid. That was one pissed off sub. He needed to remember to ask his secretary to keep track of his social engagements because apparently Heather was serious about the RSVP. She kept her composure, though. She apologized and went to check on the caterer.

“I’ll add that to her list of punishments,” Greg said with a half smile. “She can rack up the punishment time when she gets going. Our marriage wouldn’t work if she wasn’t a tiny bit of a masochist.”

He couldn’t do the small talk thing right now and he couldn’t worry about social niceties. Now that he really thought it through, he had to consider that Heather had planned this party specifically for a day he was supposed to be out of town. Had she done that for Gabrielle?

“What’s Gabrielle doing here?”

It had been almost a year, and he hadn’t heard a word from her or about her. He found it hard to believe that it was a coincidence she showed up to a party he shouldn’t have been able to attend.

“It’s my birthday party.” Greg took a swig of his imported beer. “I think Heather invited everyone we know. She’s Heather’s best friend, and she happened to be in town. Are you two going to have a problem?”

Callum frowned. Greg was staring at him with a bland, but slightly distasteful look. It was the expression he tended to have on his face when dealing with people he didn’t want to deal with. What had happened to put that look on his best friend’s face? Then again, how long had it been since he’d called Greg about anything besides business? It had been before he and Gaby had broken up. Had it really been ten months since he’d spent time with his friend? He had allowed this thing with Gabrielle to affect him far too much. He gave Greg a friendly smile. “Not at all. I was simply surprised to see her. I assure you I have no interest in speaking to Gabrielle.”

Greg’s eyes got flat and cold. “It’s best that you don’t. It would upset Heather, and I wouldn’t appreciate it. If you can’t get along with her, you should leave. Let me know if you need anything and enjoy the party.”

He stared as Greg walked away. What the hell had that been about? Actually, now that he thought about it, everyone had been a bit chilly around him lately. He looked around the elegantly decorated room and felt the weight of judgmental eyes on him. What exactly were they judging him for?

Gabrielle laughed brightly and he knew. This was her revenge. New hair. New body. New stories and rumors about her nasty, mean old Master. What exactly had she told his friends?

Disappointment racked through him. He would give it to her. She knew where to hit him. He hated gossip about himself, loathed the idea of people talking about him, so this was an excellent revenge. He wasn’t a terribly social person so turning the small number of friends he did have against him would certainly strike a blow.

He hadn’t expected that of her. She’d been sweet and thoughtful. She’d been the kind of woman who was always kind, even when she probably shouldn’t be. Had it all been one big lie to try to get him to marry her? A knot of bitterness twisted inside him. He’d been mooning over her while she’d been getting a boob job and bitching behind his back.

If she thought he would let her get away with it for one moment, she had never known him at all.

 

* * * *

 

Gabrielle knew the minute her day went to complete hell. She felt his eyes on her, the instinct of a poor prey animal in the midst of a predator. Every nerve in her body turned on like someone had flipped a switch. She tried not to look at him, but her eyes kept finding his tall, muscular form.

Cal stood in the middle of the crowd but there was no question that he was alone. He was a man who held himself apart.

“Is there a problem, love?”

She looked up at the gorgeous Irishman Heather had introduced her to earlier. Lee something. He was working security for the party. She’d found him very interesting. Naturally she was in the midst of millionaires and billionaires and the one man she truly enjoyed talking to was working.

They had a lot in common. He was working for a start-up security firm. She was starting up again. With everything…

She shook her head. “No, just someone I hoped to avoid.”

His eyes went cold and she suddenly believed his stories about working for Irish intelligence. “Would you like to point him out to me? Getting rid of problems is why I’m here.”

She rather thought he was here simply to ensure nothing went wrong around Greg’s ultra-rich clients and friends. It wouldn’t do him a lot of good to bounce Greg’s longtime best friend out of his party simply because she was uncomfortable.

She shook her head. “Not at all. He’s an ex. We parted amicably. But it is the first time I’ve seen him since we broke up.”

Amicably might be stretching it, but in the end they’d parted per the terms of the contract they’d begun the relationship with. Once Cal had realized she wasn’t going to stay, he’d backed off and honored the paperwork they’d signed. He hadn’t tried to call her afterward or follow-up to see how she was doing, and a part of her had been grateful.

Did he have a new sub? He seemed to be alone here but then he’d never required her to hover around him at a party.

“Ah,” the Irishman said. “That can be difficult. If you want some advice from me—and I’m sure you don’t—get it over with. Say hello. Talk to the man and you’ll probably discover he’s feeling as awkward as you are.”

Somehow she doubted that, but she still couldn’t stop herself from looking back at him. He was shaking his head at the server offering him a drink.

God, that was a beautiful man. She’d missed him so much over the past eight months.

The Irishman touched the small device in his ear. “Yes, I hear ya. I’ll check it out, Alex.” He smiled down at her and Gaby wished she was over Cal because that man was stunning. “We’ve got a couple of photographers walking around outside. Time for me to show them the door. Good luck with him. If you ask me, there’s probably a lot to talk about between the two of you. No one looks quite that long at a man she’s over. Nice to meet you, Gaby.”

He walked away and Gaby sought a quiet part of the yard. She lingered at the edge of the pool, hoping Cal didn’t notice her. The hot Irish guy’s words were playing through her head. Was she over him? It had been months since she’d even thought about sex, but the second she realized Callum Reed was in the same room, her hormones started singing a chorus.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Heather whispered, walking up to her and giving her a big hug. “I had no idea Cal was going to show. Apparently, he finished up the deal in Atlanta early. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect him to come even if he didn’t have a deal to work on. He’s been completely MIA for months.”

“He hasn’t been going to the club?” She couldn’t imagine Callum not spending time at the small fetish club he’d helped to start. It was where they had first met. It was where they had first made love.

It was where he’d first fucked her. She had to be real. Fooling herself had merely gotten her in trouble. Callum Reed had loved one woman in his life, and it wasn’t her.

Heather looked thoughtful as she took a sip of her margarita. “He’s only come in once in the last couple of months. He had a Scotch, walked the dungeon, and then went home. Alone. I expected him to start going through a sub a night the way he did before he met you, but as far as I can tell, he’s been alone.”

She seriously doubted he’d been alone. She snuck a glance his way. He looked gorgeous in his designer suit. It was black with pinstripes and fit him perfectly. He had them done by an Italian tailor, picking them up once a year when he went to Milan on business.

She smoothed her shaking hands over the dove-gray dress she’d bought for thirty-nine ninety-nine at a discount store. When she’d been with Cal, it had been designer clothes all the way. Of course, she hadn’t been paying for all those clothes. Or the house, or the car.

She paid for everything now, and everything had become decidedly bargain basement. Despite the nice salary Greg paid her to run his island resort, she had racked up some massive bills. It would be a while before she picked up any luxuries.

“I’m sure he’s been discreet. He hasn’t been celibate.” Callum Reed wasn’t capable of celibacy. He was the kind of man who needed sex at least twice a day. He’d take it as often as he could get it, of course, but twice a day was his absolute minimum.

When they’d been together, he would wake her up every morning, his hard cock poking her in the backside. He would roll her over and thrust inside before she was even awake. Other times, he would work warm lube into her ass before spreading her cheeks and pushing into her tight hole. Morning was quick and hard. Night was long and languid. He could play with her for hours. Sometimes she thought he viewed oral sex the way some people watched television.

“Don’t let him ruin the party for you,” Heather practically pleaded. “You have to go back to the island tomorrow and I’ll miss you again.”

She would miss Heather, too. Heather had been a rock for the last hellacious year of Gaby’s life. No matter how bad it had gotten, Heather had been there, holding her hand. “It’s only for a few weeks. You’ll be out at the resort in June. Greg has big plans for your anniversary. I’ll make sure to have the handcuffs shiny for you.”

“Oh, honey, I always bring my own.” Heather winked at her. She glanced up as though she suddenly remembered her duties as hostess. “I have to mingle. I saw you talking to that gorgeous security guy. Word of warning—the rumor is he’s a player. Greg hired this new security firm and, holy hell, they’re all gorgeous and super alpha, but from what I can tell, they’re also crazy. You need a serious man. I’ll introduce you to my doctor friend before dinner. He’s a keeper, dear. A Dom looking for a permanent sub.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” She smiled weakly as Heather walked off to mingle with her husband’s friends and clients. Gaby was left clutching a half-filled margarita glass. She shrugged and made it an empty margarita glass. A pleasant warmth started in her belly.

Going ten months without liquor made her a cheap date. That could change now. She wasn’t under the same restrictions. When she got back to work, she would start going to happy hour with her staff. It had been long enough. It was time. She stared up at the night sky. Though the stars weren’t as brilliant as they were in her new home, it was still beautiful, brilliant jewels in a canopy of the darkest velvet.

She was here and it was time. It was time to grow out her hair and drink some martinis and meet a new man. She took a deep breath. It was time to start living again.

“Gabrielle.”

The urge to drop to her knees was right there, the impulse a result of years of careful training. It was hard to ignore, but she turned and looked at the man she had loved enough to walk away from.

“Hello, Cal,” she said evenly. “How are you?”

He looked her up and down, his dark blue eyes showing absolutely no expression. Those eyes assessed her, roaming every inch of her body in a decidedly clinical fashion. “I’ve been perfectly fine, Gabrielle. How have you been?”

His hand was suddenly on her elbow. Her skin tingled where he touched her. He didn’t pull at her, merely squeezed gently, and she let him lead her. Yes, that was a force of habit, too, but perhaps her Irish friend was right. If they had any hopes of being comfortable around each other, they had to talk. They began walking slowly away from the pool.

“I’m well.” That could have come out a little stronger. She sounded like a scared rabbit and that wasn’t at all the impression she wanted to make on Cal.

“That’s nice.” Naturally, his voice sounded perfectly even. He could be negotiating a deal rather than talking to an old lover. “From the evil glances I’m getting from some very old friends, I would think I had tried to kill you.”

“I’m sorry, what?” This wasn’t the way she’d expected their first meeting to go. She’d kind of avoided thinking about it.

His jaw went tight. “I’m talking about all my friends looking at me like I’m some kind of criminal. I’ll admit I haven’t exactly been social lately, but I didn’t expect to walk into a party and find myself completely unwelcome. The only thing that’s changed is the status of our relationship, so I’m wondering what’s been said about me.”

Damn Heather and her big mouth. It was supposed to be a secret. She smiled brightly and slipped her arm through Cal’s. Yes, she needed to handle this. She’d never intended to make anyone hate Cal. He simply hadn’t been able to love her.

She had no interest in the two of them becoming a focus of gossip. If she seemed comfortable with her ex-lover, perhaps the other guests wouldn’t talk about them. She tried to look nonchalant. “I have no idea why. I haven’t seen any of these people since I left town ten months ago. Maybe it’s me they’re wary of.”

“I doubt that, pet,” Cal said, all silky and smooth. His voice had a direct line to her soft parts. “Even my oldest friend seems to have turned on me. Greg barely spoke to me this evening. His friendliest words were to tell me to leave you alone. I swear, Gabrielle, if he didn’t need me to broker his deals, he might not talk to me at all. Now I wonder why that is.”

Gaby flushed, guilt flooding her system. She truly hadn’t meant to hurt him, but she didn’t want to rehash the end of their relationship. She’d kept the secret this long. There was no reason he should know about it now. “I don’t know. I have never spoken to Greg about us.”

“I’m sure Heather talks enough.”

Gaby felt her heels sink into the grass as they left the deck. The evening grew darker as the lights from the torches got further away. The gazebo in the distance seemed to be Cal’s destination. She followed willingly. If they were going to talk, it was best to do it in private.

“I can’t control Heather’s mouth. That’s supposed to be Greg’s job. He’s her husband, after all.”

Cal helped her up the gazebo’s steps. He was always solicitous. It was one of the first things to attract her. He was a Dom of the first order. Gaby had been looking for someone like Callum since the day she realized there was a whole world out there for people like her. She’d gone through a couple of men who claimed to be Doms but really just used it as an excuse to be selfish. A real Dominant was someone like Cal, who always took care of her, even if he didn’t love her.

“Well, as it was pointed out to me recently, a Dom only has as much control as his sub allows him.” His deep blue eyes were almost black in the moonlight and there were lines around them that hadn’t been there before. There was a weariness to his frame that called to her. She fought the urge to smooth down his tie and snuggle in his arms. He wasn’t hers to take care of anymore. He turned to her. “So what have you been up to since you left?”

Her hand unconsciously went to her breast, thinking of the pain that centered there. “This and that.”

He leaned back, staring at her as though trying to decide something. “I never could figure you out, Gabrielle. I didn’t know if you were simply content to be kept or if there was some ambition lurking under the placid surface.”

The darkness was a welcome ally as she felt herself flush. If they’d been under even the soft lights of the party, he would have known how much that hurt. “Well, you weren’t interested in my ambitions.”

He shrugged. “I just wondered what you did all day.”

Her laugh was bitter and without an ounce of humor. “I ate bonbons and watched soaps. I counted the hours until you got home.” She turned away from him and looked out over the yard. In the distance, her friends mingled and laughed. She still seemed so far away from them. Maybe she would always seem far away now.

Distance had given her some perspective, especially when it came to her old Dom. “You weren’t interested in who I was as a person, Callum. You were interested in who I was as a sub. My submissive self was docile and sweet. That was what mattered to you. I didn’t ask questions or make demands. It was a D/s relationship. It wasn’t a love affair.”

She knew the difference now.

His fingers ran across the exposed skin of her shoulders and she held on to the railing of the gazebo. The spaghetti straps that held her dress up offered little protection against his gentle assault. She shivered at the touch.

“And you don’t want that anymore, do you? You don’t want a man to dominate you? You don’t want a man to take charge?”

Oh, there were certainly parts of her that did. His hands ran down to her waist, settling on her hips. Push him away. Do it now or this is going to go poorly. You are not capable of handling this.

But she’d waited too long. When he pressed his groin against her backside, she could feel the hard ridge of his erection, and she knew she wasn’t going to walk away.

It was only sex. Sex with Callum had been mind-blowingly good. There wasn’t any reason she couldn’t enjoy it again as long as she held herself apart. It had been so long. And tomorrow morning, she would be on a flight back to her island, where she was surrounded by gorgeous men she couldn’t fuck because they were either an employee or a guest. She was starting over. Shouldn’t she honor her past with one last nice night?

Yeah, her girl parts were super stupid and they were firmly in control.

Cal pressed his hard dick against her and her brain no longer mattered. That dick had been the best she’d ever had and her whole body reacted. It was like her body knew what it had been through in the last ten months and was demanding payment. That big, hard dick was payment for all the pain.

She could handle it. Hell, after what she’d been through, she could handle anything.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested in a Dominant man,” she heard herself saying in a deep, seductive voice she didn’t quite recognize.

He chuckled behind her, his breath warm against the back of her neck. “I didn’t think so, pet. You always did love the dirty stuff. It’s hard to believe a woman as submissive as you could really walk away from it altogether. Do you have a new Dom, Gabrielle?”

“No.” She was barely managing to breathe. His hands moved up her torso. He cupped her breasts, seeming to weigh and learn their new contours. She stilled, trying to figure out what to say if he asked about the obvious changes there. She wished so much she was still sensitive. She used to love the feel of his hands on her breasts.

“Why not, baby? You love this.” It sounded almost like an accusation, but Gaby was too busy rubbing her ass against his cock to really register the menace in his voice. There was a distant alarm bell going off in the background of her brain, but she ignored it. She wanted, no, needed, what only Cal had ever been able to give her.

“Gabrielle,” he said in that dark voice of his, “get on your knees.”

She turned and complied, shutting her brain off. This wasn’t a place to listen to reason. This was that glorious place where she simply listened to Callum. He would take care of her. He always did. She dropped to her knees, the hard wood of the gazebo merely another sensation to be had.

“You know what I want, pet.”

His voice was seduction in and of itself. She couldn’t refuse him when he used that tone on her. Her hands trembled as she undid his belt and unbuttoned his slacks. It didn’t matter that anyone could walk up on them. That thought just made her wetter. It felt good to want something. His big cock sprang free as she pushed his boxers out of the way. She sighed as she saw the pearly drop already leaking from the slit of his dick. She couldn’t help herself. Her tongue came out. She ran it across his head, gathering the pre-cum. It was salty on her tongue. She wanted more. She lightly pulled the head of his cock into her mouth, milking him gently for the salty stuff.

This was what she needed. Closure. Or hell, maybe not. Maybe she could see him when she came into town. Callum was a treat. He was dessert. She didn’t have to have him all the time, but life was useless if she never indulged again.

Who the fuck was she fooling?

“Damn it, Gabrielle,” he growled. “Suck me.”

His hands came down, tangling in what was left of her hair. She briefly bemoaned its loss. The new pixie cut was chic, but she’d only gotten it out of necessity. She remembered how Cal loved her long hair. He would wrap it around his fist and gently direct her. Now, he struggled to get a hold of it. He managed and pushed his cock into her mouth as he pulled at her head.

She let her tongue whirl around his silky, hard shaft, relearning the shape and feel of him. She let him guide her, sucking hard along him. He pushed her, tunneling his way to the back of her throat, then groaned as she fought to keep him inside. She hollowed out her cheeks when he tried to pull out.

“God, you give the best head,” he muttered. “No one ever came close, but then you were always the best at everything.”

She turned her eyes up. He was looking down, watching his cock fuck her mouth. His eyes were hot as he peered down. His hips thrust forward. She checked her gag reflex and concentrated on breathing through her nose. She reached up and rolled his tight balls in her hands. He hissed, the sound pushing out between his teeth. She’d heard it so many times and knew exactly what it meant. He was close, so close. His cock swelled in the already tight confines of her mouth. It was only seconds before he would come. She couldn’t wait. When he was done, it would be her turn. He would pull off her panties and arrange her on the bench. He would spread her legs and feast on her pussy. It would feel so good.

“I’m going to come, pet,” he announced softly but with purpose. “That tight mouth of yours is too much. You’ll swallow me. Don’t you dare lose a drop.”

She would have smiled if she hadn’t had a mouthful of urgent cock. As if she would do anything else. She softened her throat. Callum groaned as she swallowed around him. He’d described it once as a soft, sweet vise around his dick. It was different than her pussy or her ass. The sound of Cal’s moan filled the gazebo and rolled over her, filling her with an erotic pride. He might not have loved her, but he’d always made her feel wanted. The first hot jet of Cal’s cum spurted onto her tongue. The taste was familiar, and Gaby heard her own throaty sounds as she struggled to push him as far as he could go. Gaby swallowed, not wanting to miss a drop. She sucked him while he softened. He pulled out of her mouth with a soft pop.

She sat back on her heels, a little surprised. She drew in the humid air, struggling to catch her breath. Usually, he wanted her to lick him clean. It was a soft time she craved, the time where they connected on a non-physical level. He would stroke her hair while she ran her tongue along him. He would tell her how much he enjoyed her, how pretty she was. She would cling to him and they would kiss for what felt like hours, tasting his salty essence on her own tongue. They would stroke and play all night, his deep voice praising her.

He said nothing now, merely tucked his cock in and zipped up his pants. He stepped back, not even lending a hand to get her off her knees. What was happening? A chill started to push through the warmth of before. She pushed up against the bench to get herself into a standing position because she suddenly felt like she needed every inch of height she had to face him down.

She had made a terrible mistake.

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Cal’s voice made a mockery of the quiet surroundings, pulling her out of their intimacy. “How much do I owe you for the hummer?”

“What?” It was penetrating her brain that he’d used her with no thought to making it mutual. He didn’t look like a man who was about to repay the favor.

His sensual lips looked a little cruel in the low light. “The blow job, Gabrielle. How much? I think I have a fifty on me. I know you don’t fuck me for fun.”

“I thought…” She let the sentence dangle as humiliation swept over her body.

A low laugh cut through her like a knife meant to tear her apart.

“What? Did you think I wanted to fuck you, baby? Did you think I’d take care of you now? I have it on the highest authority that I’m no longer responsible for your orgasms. You have some fingers. Take care of yourself. Or you could ask that asshole you were talking to earlier. Maybe you can get a ring out of him.” He winked at her. It was an ugly thing.

The nice Irish guy who had told her she needed to deal with Cal. She didn’t think this was what he’d meant. She felt Cal stare at her, and her skin chilled under his cold appraisal.

“I don’t want to fuck you, Gabrielle. I’m afraid this new look you’ve come up with isn’t attractive. The boobs are bigger, but I can’t stand silicone and you know that. The hair is terrible, and you’re far too thin for my tastes.”

She touched her hair and felt the tears cloud her vision. Her hair had only started growing back a few months before. She’d been bald for so long, she’d worried it wouldn’t grow back at all.

Oh, god, she’d been right to leave him. If he thought she looked bad now, he wouldn’t have been able to look at her when it had been bad. He wouldn’t have stuck around anyway. She wobbled on her heels. It didn’t matter. His cruel words had cured her of any lingering desire for him. She’d never been anything to him but a convenient lay and a cheap housekeeper. He couldn’t treat her the way he had if he’d ever cared about her. She patted her hair down, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.

Suddenly she wondered if he knew and didn’t care. After all, Heather loved to talk. He had to have heard, but she was going to make sure.

“Sorry you don’t like it, Callum,” she managed with as much bravado as she could muster. “You should have seen it a couple of months back. You would have loved it then. As for my skinny body, well, I found the best diet ever. Chemo will get you to your goal weight in a hurry. Keep your money. I’ll consider the blow job a life lesson. Good-bye.”

“Gaby?”

He so rarely called her by anything but her full name that this nearly made her stop. And then she remembered her name meant nothing to him. She was nothing to him.

She walked away from him, holding her head high when the need to hide herself away was riding her hard. Tears pulsed at her eyes, but she wasn’t shedding them. Not yet. She strode past the pool, ignoring the people who greeted her. She got her purse and went straight out to her car without saying good-bye to her hosts. It was rude, but she couldn’t face anyone now. She started the car just as Cal caught up to her.

“Gabrielle!”

Even inside the car, she could hear the command in his voice. She pulled away, the tires screeching against the pavement. She didn’t owe him anything. All their debts had been paid and there had never honestly been anything but a contract between them. Gaby felt the sadness well up inside her as she drove off. There was nothing between them now, not even friendship. In the morning, she would get on a plane and leave him behind again.

It was time to go home.

 

* * * *

 

Cal strode back into Greg’s house knowing full well he looked like an angry bull. Fucking confused bull was what he really was. He wanted very desperately to gore someone, but he had no idea where to charge.

People all around him quickly moved to get out of his way. He thought briefly about getting into his Jag and pursuing her but changed his mind. It was obvious that a lot had been kept from him. He needed to know what had been going on. Greg knew. That son of a bitch knew and hadn’t bothered to mention it to him.

He stood there like an asshole, watching her POS car drive off.

What had happened? Chemo? What sort of cancer had she lived through? His heart thudded in his chest, and the room seemed to squeeze around him. She’d been too thin and he’d made fun of her. He’d fucking made fun of her when she was hurting and healing and…god, he was an ass of the highest order. How long had she had…he couldn’t say it, even think it. Had she known when she left him?

Across the room, he saw Greg laughing at something Heather said. Anger flooded Cal’s system. He welcomed it. Anger was easier to deal with than the fear and guilt that had crushed him from the moment Gaby had smoothed down her hair and made her announcement. His stomach was in knots. Beating the shit out of Greg would make him feel infinitely more in control.

Greg looked up, regarding him with a little bit of disdain in his eyes. That disdain was quickly replaced with startled shock as Cal bore down on him. Cal was satisfied at the way Greg’s eyes widened and he quickly set his beer down and pushed Heather out of the way. He looked at Cal like he probably would look at a snarling dog. His hands came up, wary, worried. “Cal, whatever is going through your brain, we should talk about it.”

“Fuck talking,” he spat out as his fist connected with Greg’s jaw. The sight of Greg hitting the floor satisfied Cal deeply.

“Goddamn it.” Greg picked himself up. He rubbed his jaw. All around them people looked on in shock. Heather pushed at Cal, her manicured nails shoving at him.

“You asshole. Get out of my house,” she swore.

He looked down at the woman he’d known for ten years. He’d introduced her to her husband. Now she looked at him like he was a monster. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was figuring out what had happened. It suddenly seemed like he hadn’t ever known the answer to that question.

“I’m not going anywhere until someone explains what the hell is wrong with Gabrielle.”

Heather’s eyes turned down. Cal knew her well enough. A small suspicion started in the back of his brain. He turned to Greg, who pulled his wife out of the line of fire. Greg wouldn’t see it. All he would see was another Dom intruding on his territory.

“I think you should leave now, Callum.” Greg’s voice was stony and flat.

Cal held his ground. He wasn’t going anywhere until he got what he needed. He had to make himself intensely plain. “I told you. I’m not leaving until you explain why Gaby needed fucking chemotherapy. Don’t pretend. I know you know.”

Greg ran a hand over his jaw. “Of course I know. Who do you think paid for her reconstructive surgery?”

“What?” The minute the words registered, Cal felt his knees buckle and had to force himself to keep standing. The world had tilted, and he didn’t like where he landed.

Surgery? Reconstruction? What had she been through?

Fuck. What had she been through without him?

“Holy shit, Cal.” Greg put an arm on Cal’s shoulder to steady him. The wary, almost disdainful look that had been on Greg’s face was replaced with an expression of confusion. “Are you telling me you didn’t know?”

He felt his jaw firm into granite. God, he was going to throw up. His stomach was churning. Where was the bathroom?

Luckily he’d been here before and knew where to run. He slammed through the door and hit his knees.

Gabrielle. His Gabrielle had been cut on, drugs poured through her system, and she’d been alone. She’d fucking been alone. And the first time he’d seen her, he’d insulted her and taken from her.

It all came up. Oddly, he wouldn’t have thought there would be that much. He didn’t eat a lot anymore, didn’t have the will since she’d left him.

He was shaking when he heard the voices behind him.

“Cal, are you all right?”

No wonder they all looked at him like he was a fucking monster. He was. He was the piece of shit Dom who hadn’t even noticed his sub was dying.

Cal fell back, his spine hitting the wall of the guest bathroom with a resounding thud, and he let his head fall forward. All he had left was his reputation. It appeared even that was tarnished beyond belief. “Do you honestly believe I would have allowed her to go through that alone? I might be a son of a bitch, but I have always cared for my sub. I took care of Gabrielle.”

“Not enough to marry her.” Heather stood next to her husband and it was obvious Cal’s sacrificial stomach wasn’t enough for her.

Greg turned to his wife, his jaw tightening. “You made me believe he knew what was happening with Gaby and that he didn’t care. You have a lot of explaining to do. Don’t look at me that way. This isn’t some small rebellion. This is you coming between me and my oldest friend. This is very serious.”

“I never lied to you, Master,” Heather said stubbornly. It was easy to see she was flustered. She’d used her husband’s title at a decidedly vanilla party.

Greg stepped into the bathroom, offering a hand up. He took it, getting shakily to his feet.

“Cal, if you would join me in the office, I think we should conclude this in private. Heather, see to our guests.” His voice went low and he leaned in. “I will handle you later, slave. It will not go well for you.”

Cal rinsed his mouth out, washing cold water over his face before he left the bathroom.

Greg stalked through the crowd. Cal forced himself to follow, making his limbs move like they were machines. Greg knew. Did know. Had known. He knew what had happened all those months before.

Gaby’s pale face haunted him. He’d used her ruthlessly, wanting to pay her back for every restless night he’d had since she left him. He could hear his cold words, each one calculated to hurt her. Every single syllable an arrow he’d launched in a battle she hadn’t been fighting. Shame made his shoulders droop, his body feel like he wasn’t in it. He sank into the soft leather of the sofa as Greg closed the door behind him. Cal tried to steady his shaking hands as Greg quickly poured him a couple of fingers of Scotch. The single malt burned a path to his gut.

Greg’s head shook as he took his own drink. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am, man. All this time, I thought you knew.”

“Will you tell me what the fuck I’m supposed to know? Give it to me straight.” He took another long swallow. He had the feeling he would need it.

Greg sat down and looked Cal in the eye. There was no anger left, only a weary sadness. “Eleven months ago, Gaby was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer.”

Cal’s hand tightened around the glass so he wouldn’t drop it. He knew her family history. Gabrielle’s mother had died of breast cancer when she was just sixteen. Because of her family history, she got a mammogram every year despite her youth. He’d teased her about it, saying something about how sensitive her breasts were. He’d allowed her to go alone because he’d had some meeting.

She must have been terrified when she’d gotten the news. He hated the thought that she had been alone. He should have been by her side. He let his head fall forward as Greg continued to talk.

“It had spread to her lymph nodes. It was an aggressive strain. Given her family history with it, the doctors recommended she have a bilateral mastectomy. She refused at first. It was only in one breast.”

Cal’s head came up. He felt a moment’s pure panic. “Tell me she did what the doctors told her to do. Tell me they took both of those things off her body.”

He’d loved her breasts, adored lavishing them with affection, but in a moment they’d become the enemy. They threatened to take her out of the world and they needed to be gone.

Greg nodded, leaning forward. “Heather talked her into it. It was a really bad time. Gaby was worried no one would want her after the surgery. She was a little lost. You had just broken up with her.”

He laughed but it was a bitter thing. “Is that what she told you? I didn’t break up with her, Greg. It wasn’t a thought in my head. I was happy. I was gloriously happy until the night she walked out on me. I got completely blindsided. She gave me an ultimatum. I had to tell her I loved her and would marry her or she would leave. You know how I deal with ultimatums. Did she tell you I kicked her out?”

Greg rolled his eyes, obviously angry with himself. “No. She never said that. Heather never said it either. She simply didn’t correct my mistaken impression. I couldn’t imagine that she would leave you. Gaby loved you so much. I could see it in her eyes when she looked at you.”

Guilt rose up like bile in his throat. “None of this explains why you thought I would hurt her like that.”

“Don’t blame Gaby. She had other things on her mind, and I never asked her about the situation with you. I was angry. I’ve always felt a sort of protectiveness toward Gaby. She’s been friends with Heather for a long time. I suppose I view her as a little sister. I also felt guilty because Heather and I introduced the two of you. I was upset to hear you had paid her off.”

“She didn’t have a job at my insistence,” he explained. “Our contract had a clause I wrote in for her protection. She got fifty thousand if we broke up after two years. I didn’t miss the money. I signed over her car, too.” He thought for a moment. “I didn’t see it here. She was driving some compact.”

“She sold the BMW to pay for her medical bills. She didn’t have insurance, and that money you gave her didn’t go far. She still owes a hundred thousand. She was going to forgo the reconstructive surgery because she couldn’t afford a plastic surgeon. Again, Heather convinced her to let us cover it. She still tries to pay me back.”

Cal was still pissed at Heather, but it also seemed like he owed her. “How much was it? I’ll write you a check.”

“Don’t worry about it. I took care of it. She won’t let me pay the rest of her bills, but she did let me give her a job. She’s managing the island.” He said the last bit with the slightest wince.

Cal went still again. “My Gabrielle is managing your sex resort?”

Greg flashed a short grin. “She’s really good at it. You would be surprised how hard it is to keep a good manager out there. Don’t get pissed at me. She needed it. It took her away from everything.”

“Yes, everything like hospitals and medical personnel to monitor her condition,” Cal complained. It hadn’t even been a year since her surgery. What had he read? A cancer patient couldn’t consider herself safe until she was in remission for five years. Gabrielle needed checkups and doctors and the best care money could provide. “Did you think about that for a minute?”

Greg sat back, watching him. “Her second in command is a registered nurse. I hired him myself. She isn’t a fragile flower, Cal. She’s strong and smart. She has had all her checkups. That’s what she’s in town for. Heather took her today, and the doctors are very happy with her progress. Look, I am really sorry about this. I acted like an ass. I distanced when I should have had it out with you, but I let Heather and Gaby convince me to let it be.”

“I didn’t help by pulling back. I haven’t called you or talked about anything but business. If I had just fucking called you, maybe I could have been there for her.” It was his own stubborn fault. After Gabrielle had left, he’d closed down. Now that he looked back, it was like she had walked out of his life, taking with her everything that made it worth living.

“You can stop worrying about her. Actually, I’m glad to find out you still care about her. Maybe you can talk to her. I’d like to introduce her to some Doms I know. It’s been long enough. She won’t be happy in a vanilla relationship, but she’s very shy. She’s worried about her body. I tried introducing her to Harrison tonight, though according to Heather she seemed to have a better connection with the head of security. Crazy thing is, he’s apparently in the lifestyle. She’s still interested in a Dominant partner. I don’t know that he’s the one I would pair her with. It would go better if you could convince her it’s all right for her to join us at the club. She can mix and mingle.”

The very thought made his blood pressure rise. “Why the fuck would I want my sub mingling with a bunch of horny Doms?”

A knowing smile played on Greg’s mouth. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying stop trying to set up my sub with another Dom.” Cal ground the words out. He knew he sounded crazy, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. All he knew was that things weren’t finished between him and Gabrielle.