While the alarm had gone off at five, they hadn’t made it out of bed until after five thirty. Saying goodbye to Beth had taken another twenty-five minutes—not that he would have changed anything. It was the first time in the last seven years that he’d wanted to call in sick. He knew his crew was counting on him, however, so he made himself do what he had to do.
He made it home at six twenty-four. Shawn was already gone. Drew took one of the fastest showers of his life, threw on his uniform, downed a bagel and some orange juice, and jogged back out to his car.
The station was buzzing with activity when he arrived at ten after seven. Several of the guys greeted him as he made his way to the locker room. It was in the locker room that he ran into Shawn.
“Good morning.” His friend shot him a knowing smile.
“Morning.” Drew tried to act normal as he stowed his keys and wallet into his assigned locker, but the writing was already on the wall. Shawn was aware that he hadn’t come home last night. He also knew Drew had had a date with Beth. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to put the two together.
His friend waited until the other guys exited the locker room before he started in with the questioning. “Last night went well, huh?”
“Yeah.”
Well didn’t begin to cover it. After they’d gone to her bedroom, they’d had another round of hot and heavy sex. That time he was able to touch her to his heart’s content. Afterward, they’d talked more about what they wanted to explore when it came to the BDSM side of their relationship. For some reason, he’d always envisioned negotiations taking place across a table like you see on those cop shows—stark interrogation room, harsh lighting, that sort of thing. This was about as far removed from that as could be. They’d talked for hours tangled in each other’s arms.
Shawn whistled, causing Drew to look up. “Must have been some night if you’re daydreaming about it already.”
Drew felt the heat surging in his cheeks. He turned his head so his friend couldn’t see.
Patting him on the back, Shawn walked toward the door. “I’m happy for you. Enjoy it.”
After shutting his locker and taking a deep breath, Drew went out to meet with his crew—and maybe get a little more breakfast. They had work to do, and if they weren’t too busy with calls, he wanted to get some training in as well. The training was more for his benefit than theirs. Drew needed to keep busy. The faster the next twenty-four hours went, the better.
***
Normally when Beth was late to work, it threw her entire day into a tailspin. She hated being late.
Tommy, who had known her for nearly seven years, knew this about her. That was why he immediately became suspicious when she floated around the kitchen humming to herself during morning prep, even though she’d come in nearly twenty minutes late. He stopped what he was doing and stared her down.
“What?” she asked when she noticed him looking.
“I’m trying to figure out why you’re so cheery this morning.”
She grinned as memories of the night before came back to her.
“Ah.” Tommy smiled and nodded. “Things are going well with the firefighter.”
Beth had no reason to deny it. “They are.”
“Good. I’m glad.” He reached around her to grab a large mixing bowl from the shelf. When he returned to his position beside her, he nudged her with his hip. “Make sure he treats you right.”
Although she didn’t comment, the look on her face must have been answer enough for Tommy.
When the doors opened at seven, people began flooding in. Almost every week they were busier than the one before. She’d been considering hiring another employee, if for no other reason than to give her and Tommy a break every now and then.
It was as they were closing the café down that afternoon that Beth broached the subject with Tommy. “What do you think about me hiring someone to help us around here?”
He looked up from where he was wiping the front counter. “You mean another employee?”
She nodded.
“I think it’s a good idea. If things keep picking up, you and I aren’t going to be able to handle it on our own.”
“I know. And with summer just around the corner, it’s probably going to get even busier.”
On her way home that evening, Beth swung by the store and picked up a help wanted sign for her front window. Maybe she’d get lucky and have someone see the sign and apply. If not, she’d have to place an ad in the local paper. She had plenty of foot traffic, though. Odds were someone who frequented her café was either in need of a job or knew someone who was.
That night she opened her toy chest and laid everything on her bed. Beth sorted the items based on what Drew had put on his checklist. Everything not on his list she tucked away in the bottom drawer of her dresser. The rest she cleaned and then returned to the chest so they would be easily accessible when she needed them.
With that accomplished, Beth made herself some dinner, and then curled up on the couch to call Nicole.
“Well, how was it? Please tell me you fucked that boy senseless.”
Beth laughed. “Well, hello to you, too.”
“Pfft. Save the pleasantries for later. Come on. Spill. You two did have sex, didn’t you?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
“And?”
“And . . . we’ll be doing it again tomorrow.” Beth picked up the bowl of ice cream she’d brought into the living room with her.
“It’s about time.”
“It was only our second date.”
“Maybe technically. But tell me you didn’t want to see him naked the first time you laid eyes on him.”
Beth chuckled as she licked the ice cream from her spoon. “I think half the women in Serpent’s Kiss wanted to see him naked.”
“You think that’s changed? Something tells me the first time you two scene at the club you’re going to have an audience.”
“I figured. Somehow, I don’t think Drew is all that into exhibitionism.”
“He’ll get over it.”
Although Drew didn’t strike her as a man who had issues with his body, it was one thing to be comfortable in your own skin. It was another to have a dozen people watching you get your rocks off. “We’ll have to talk it over. Honestly, it’s not even something I’m thinking about yet. We need to get through our first scene before we add anything else to the mix.”
“Something holding you up? I would have thought you two would jump right into it.”
“His schedule. He’s in the middle of a rotation,” Beth said, figuring Nicole would understand since she knew how their scheduling worked.
“Makes sense. It wouldn’t be good if he experienced subdrop in the middle of a shift.”
The thought had crossed Beth’s mind. She worried about his safety enough as it was. It was one of the reasons she’d asked him to spend the night. “We’re going to try on Wednesday evening. He’s coming over for dinner, and then we’ll see how things go from there.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah, well, don’t count your chickens yet. He might realize after he gets a full taste of submission that he doesn’t like it.”
Nicole let out a noise that sounded somewhere between a whine and a snort. “You actually believe that?”
“It could happen.”
“And pigs could fly.”
She was right. It was a long shot. Especially given his reaction to being bound. “I know you’re right. I just—”
“Stop worrying. Things are going great, right? Just go with it.”
“I’ll try.”
Nicole sighed. “Don’t try. Do.”
Beth rolled her eyes. “Okay, Obi-Wan.”
“I supposed I should give you credit for at least getting the movie reference.”
“Why, thank you so much for your generosity.” Beth chuckled and went to put her empty bowl in the dishwasher. She glanced over at the clock and was surprised to see how late it was. “I should probably let you go and get myself ready for bed.”
“You do want to be fully rested for your big night tomorrow.”
Beth groaned. “Don’t put more pressure on me than I already feel.”
Nicole laughed. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
It took Beth several minutes to walk through the lower level of her house and make sure everything was turned off and locked up for the night. As her day wound down and she got ready for bed, she couldn’t help remembering the previous night.
She slid beneath the covers and reached for the pillow Drew had used. A faint hint of his smell still lingered on her sheets. And if she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine him there, lying beside her again.
Beth was surprised how right it had felt for him to be in her bed. The first time Ben had spent the night with her, it had been awkward. He’d been restless, which in turn had caused her to be restless as well.
Drew, however, had no issues falling asleep in her bed. He’d rolled over, curled up against her back, and fallen asleep within minutes. His comfort had in turn made it easy for her to relax and drift off to sleep herself. She hadn’t been plagued by self-consciousness or uncertainty as she had with Ben. Then again, all her cards were on the table with Drew. He knew she was a Domme and liked to be the one calling the shots in their sexual relationship. She hadn’t tried to downplay her desires. Instead, she’d embraced them and so had he.
Tucking the pillow he’d used the night before under her chin, Beth turned onto her side, and closed her eyes. Drew would most likely spend the night tomorrow after their scene. While she realized it wasn’t good to be overly attached to him so soon, she already knew she was going to be helpless to stop it. Wise or not, her heart wanted Drew. She’d welcome him into her bed as often as she could have him.
***
“Any plans for your days off?” Baily asked to the room at large. The new shift had arrived so Drew and his crew were about to head home.
Romeo clasped the necklace he always wore around his neck when he wasn’t on duty. Once it was secured, he tucked the gold cross beneath his shirt. “I’m sure I have a ‘honey-do’ list waiting for me when I get home.”
All the guys laughed. Whenever Romeo had his four days off, his wife always had a new project . . . or two waiting for him.
Baily nodded toward Irwin. “What about you? Got any plans?”
“Nah. Not really. I might see if my brother-in-law needs some help at the restaurant.”
“Trouble in paradise?” Romeo asked.
Irwin shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
They strolled out of the locker room and headed toward the parking lot.
“What about you, Cap? Got a hot date with your café lady?” Baily asked.
Drew tossed his duffel bag into the backseat of his car and shut the door. He waited until he was opening the driver door and about to slide into the seat before answering. “As a matter of fact, I do. See you all bright and early Sunday morning.”
While they were still gaping wide-eyed back at him, he started the engine, and drove away. He knew there would be hell to pay during his next shift, but for the time being, he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.
He was about to slip into bed an hour later when Shawn ambled through the door. “Hey.”
Drew leaned against the doorjamb outside his bedroom. “Hey.”
Shawn walked into the kitchen and reached into the refrigerator. He pulled out a beer and took a large swig.
“You all right?” Drew asked.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
He didn’t buy that for a second. “Something happen? Is it Jill?”
His friend took another long pull on his beer before turning around to face him. “I figured I’d go by the house this morning. See if maybe Jill and I could talk.”
“And?”
“I pulled up to the curb in time to see a guy I didn’t recognize stepping out to get the morning paper.”
“Oh, man. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah. So am I.” Shawn stared down at the floor. “How could I have missed this? How could I not have known she was seeing another guy?” He looked at Drew as if hoping he had an answer for him.
“I don’t know.”
Shawn nodded as if he had expected Drew’s response.
Silence filled the air for several minutes before Drew cleared his throat. “I’m supposed to go over to Beth’s tonight. I can call her and cancel if—”
“Don’t you dare. Go. Spend time with your woman.”
“Are you sure?” Drew asked.
Shawn drained the rest of his beer and threw the bottle in the recycle bin. “Sure I am. No reason why we both have to spend the evening wallowing in self-pity.”
“That isn’t reassuring.”
“I’m fine. Really. Or, at least, I will be.” Shawn sighed and headed toward the bathroom. “Go get some rest. I’m sure you’ll need it for tonight.”
Drew stood there and watched his heartbroken friend disappear into the bathroom. He was torn. Tonight would be his and Beth’s first real foray into BDSM—and his first ever. It was something he’d dreamt about since laying eyes on her. But Shawn was one of his closest friends.
With a sigh, Drew stepped into his bedroom and closed the door. Aside from the call that woke them all up at five o’clock this morning, he’d gotten a decent amount of sleep during his shift. His anxiety over his upcoming evening with Beth had made it a bit difficult to fall asleep, but after that, he’d been out until the alarm sounded. He figured it was a good idea to try and get at least a couple more hours of sleep, given the evening they had planned. Shawn was right. If things went well with Beth later, he would need all the rest he could get.
He rolled out of bed a little before two in the afternoon. Although he was still concerned about Shawn, at least he felt rested.
Drew stretched, feeling the pull of his muscles. As he laced his fingers behind him to stretch his arms and back, a knowing grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. He wondered if Beth would tie him up again.
The thought of Beth caused him to look over at his phone. It was showing he had a voice mail message.
Holding the phone up to his ear, he checked his messages.
It was Beth.
“Good morning. I hope you’re ready for tonight.” There was a level of seduction in her voice, and he felt his pulse quicken in anticipation. “Be at my house at five. Bring an overnight bag. I don’t plan on letting you out of my bed before morning.”
He swallowed and instinctively reached down to cup his groin.
She lowered her voice, but instead of lessening the effect, it did the opposite. “No touching yourself until I say.”
There was a long pause in her message, and he could feel the blood pumping through his veins. He removed his hand from his growing erection even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. This was what he’d signed up for. This was what he’d wanted.
After several moments of silence, she finished her message in a lighter tone. “I’m looking forward to tonight. See you at five.”
Beth’s message ended, and the automated voice came on asking if he wanted to save or delete the message. He hovered over the delete button, but then changed his mind and saved it instead. There was no real reason to. She hadn’t left a list of instructions he was unlikely to remember. If he was being honest with himself, it had more to do with having access to her voice whenever he wanted it. And the best part about the message was that she showed both sides of herself—the Domme and his girlfriend.
He chuckled as he laid the phone back on his dresser and went to get some coffee and a light lunch. Drew was still grinning when he strolled into the kitchen. He stopped short, however, when he saw Shawn sitting dejectedly on the couch.
Shawn opened his eyes and sent Drew a weak smile. “Sleep well?”
“Yeah.” Drew walked over to the coffeemaker and flipped it on. “You?”
His friend shrugged.
“You need your sleep. You have a shift tomorrow.”
“I’ll be fine,” Shawn said, waving him off. “We weren’t that busy last night, so I got a good four hours at least. That’s enough.”
While Drew wasn’t convinced, he wasn’t Shawn’s babysitter either, so he let it go. Instead, Drew moved about the kitchen gathering what he’d need to make scrambled eggs and bacon. He somehow figured he’d need the extra protein later.
Shawn folded the blanket he was using and placed it, along with his pillow, at one end of the couch before joining Drew in the kitchen. Falling into the same routine they were used to at work, Shawn gathered what was needed to set the table. Drew carried the food over when it was ready, and they dug in.
“What time are you supposed to meet your girl?” Shawn asked.
Drew was still unsure if he should leave his buddy alone, but if Shawn didn’t want him there, he wasn’t going to push. “Five.”
Shawn shoveled in a few more bites. “Want to head over to the gym before you go? I feel the need to pummel something.”
“Sure.” Drew lowered his head so Shawn couldn’t see the smirk on his face. There was no doubt in Drew’s mind whose face his friend would be picturing as he planted his fist in the gym’s punching bag.