Beth managed to make it to work on time. How, she didn’t know. Sex in the shower had taken longer than anticipated, but she and Drew had worked together to make breakfast and she was able to get out the door in record time. That was good because she had plans for her evening and she didn’t want to be stuck at work any later than she needed to be.
Granted, that was happening less and less since Beth had hired Grace. She was a good worker. A little shy, but polite and more than competent. In her short time at the café, Beth had learned that Grace had lost her husband about six months ago. He was a soldier killed overseas. Beth hadn’t gotten any details. She wasn’t sure Grace could have held it together long enough to give them to her.
The woman in question walked into the kitchen with an empty tray. “We ran out of blueberry muffins.”
Nodding, Beth motioned toward the sink. “It’s too late in the day to make any more. That’s the second time this week, though. I might have to reconsider how many we’re making each day.”
Grace did as instructed and then joined Beth at the counter. “Tommy says things are slowing down out there so he doesn’t need me.”
“Okay. Well, why don’t you go check on the customers and then you can start getting things cleaned up back here. Maybe we can all get out of here a little early today.”
Things worked in their favor, and they were able to get everything cleaned and closed down before three o’clock. Having a third person made a huge difference.
As Beth was leaving the cafe, her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, but didn’t recognize the number. It was local, though, and just in case it was Drew, she answered. “Hello?”
“Hello, Beth. It’s Seth Parker. Drew’s brother. I was hoping I could speak with you.”
Beth wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to Drew’s brother after the way he’d been the weekend before, but she had to admit she was curious. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“I’d rather talk in person.”
Her defenses went up. “Your brother’s working today, but I’m sure we could arrange—”
“I’d prefer it be just the two of us, if you didn’t mind. I’m out in front of your business now if you have time.”
He was here? Now? She glanced over her shoulder expecting him to magically appear, but no one was there. “All right. Give me ten minutes and I’ll meet you out front.”
She hung up the phone and turned around to find Tommy standing there. “Everything, okay?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. You ready to go?” she asked.
They walked out the back door and she locked it behind her. Tommy climbed in his car, and she waved goodbye to him as he drove off. Grace had an appointment at three she couldn’t reschedule, so Beth had sent her home as soon as they’d closed since they were caught up.
Beth waited until Tommy’s car was out of sight before getting into her vehicle and driving around to the front of the building. Seth was there, leaning up against the ledge of one of the café’s large windows. She parked along the curb and climbed out to see what he wanted.
“I was hoping I’d catch you before you closed but I had a meeting that ran late,” he said, pushing away from the building.
He looked like an older version of Drew, but the way he carried himself was quite different. Drew could act full of himself sometimes, but he was also very approachable. Beth imagined Seth went after what he wanted and didn’t take no for an answer. A profitable skill for a lawyer, no doubt, but completely undesirable in a mate as far as Beth was concerned.
“What can I do for you?” Beth figured it was better to cut to the chase.
“I’m told I owe you an apology.”
That surprised her.
Clearly, her shock showed on her face because he continued. “After you left, both my parents laid into me about how rude I’d been to you. And then my brother called to harass me as well.”
Drew had called him? When?
“I guess he didn’t tell you that.”
“No. He didn’t.” Beth wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but she wasn’t going to let that sidetrack her. “So you came to apologize because your parents and your brother told you to?”
Seth grinned. “No. But I think you already know that.”
She did. Seth didn’t strike her as someone who bowed to pressure from anyone, even his family.
“I’m here because I wanted to see for myself if you were who you said you were.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Who exactly did you think I was?”
He put his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t know. That was the point. I didn’t even know you’d be there until I walked into the kitchen and found you sitting at my mom’s table.”
“So what you’re trying to tell me is that because my presence surprised you, you decided to be a jerk.”
“You don’t pull any punches, do you?” Seth chuckled. “I can see why Drew likes you.”
Beth wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or not.
“I do apologize if I acted like a jerk. Drew hasn’t had the best history with women and it worried me when he’d suddenly brought one home to meet us. I wanted to make sure you weren’t taking advantage of him.”
As good as that sounded, Beth wasn’t sure she believed him. “You were trying to protect your brother? Don’t you think he’s old enough to do that on his own?”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you, but my baby brother tends to see the best in people.”
Beth knew there had to be a story there, but quite frankly, she didn’t care. Her relationship with Drew was none of Seth’s business. “If you have an issue with your brother being with me then you need to talk to him.”
“Oh, I have. As a matter of fact, I just came from there. He wouldn’t hear any of it. Told me to mind my own damn business.” Beth sensed a level of pride there. She wasn’t sure she would ever understand Seth Parker.
“Maybe you should listen to him.”
Seth opened his mouth to comment, but someone came around the corner and cut him off. “Having an afternoon rendezvous? Is this your new boy-toy, then?”
She spun around to find Ben striding toward them. He looked determined, and Beth knew there was little chance she’d be able to get rid of him this time without allowing him to say his piece. “What are you doing here, Ben?”
“I came to talk to you.” He looked Seth up and down. “Is this him? I heard you were with someone new.”
Drew’s brother didn’t flinch. He stared Ben down with a level of contempt that had been missing from her first encounter with Seth. “And you are?”
“I’m her ex.”
Seth crossed his arms over his chest and she had to admit it made him much more intimidating. “If you’re her ex, then why are you here demanding to know who she’s having a conversation with outside of her own restaurant?”
“That’s none of your business,” Ben snapped.
“Since you’ve barged into our discussion, you’ve made it my business.” Seth never raised his voice. He was chillingly calm.
Ben continued to stare at Seth until he realized it wasn’t going to get him anywhere and refocused his attention on Beth. “This is a waste of time. I need to talk to you.”
“So you said.” She sighed. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
He glanced over at Seth. “Alone.”
She opened her mouth, but Seth interrupted her. “No. If you have something to say to her, then you can say it here in front of me. Otherwise, be on your way.”
Ben got a smug look on his face. “Fine. Amy decided that I needed to see a sex therapist. It was the only way I could keep her from walking out on me after she found out about you and me.”
Beth felt Seth stiffen beside her, but otherwise he didn’t react.
“I’m supposed to confront my addiction and that included tracking you down and telling you that . . .” He glanced over at Seth and then back to her. “That letting you do those things to me was a way for me to get back at my wife. That was all it ever was.”
She blinked. “Anything else?”
Ben looked to be considering his next words.
Seth must have picked up on the same thing she did. Ben was out to hurt her, embarrass her, or maybe a little of both. “I think you’ve said enough. You can leave now.”
“Pfft.” Ben rolled his eyes and took a step back toward the alley. “Good riddance. I did what I said I’d do. I hope you have fun with your new plaything while I’m having a real relationship with my wife.”
With those parting words, he was gone. He disappeared around the corner, presumably to the back of the building where she’d been not long ago. Beth wondered if he’d planned to ambush her when she left the café or if he was planning to follow her home. Neither sat well with her.
“So that was your ex?” Seth asked.
“Yes. Unfortunately.” At that moment, Beth realized that any feelings she’d had for Ben were long gone. She’d been able to view his words for what they were—an attack. He was angry he was being made to jump through hoops to save his marriage and he was lashing out. It didn’t look like therapy was working. Then again, it only worked if the person committed to the process. Ben had proven that commitment wasn’t one of his strong suits.
“Want to explain?” Seth asked.
“No.” Explaining the meaning behind what Ben had said to Seth, someone who already didn’t seem to care for her, was the last thing she wanted. Beth was starting to think that she and Drew had a real future together and she didn’t want to create any more bumps in the road with his family than she had to. “If there isn’t anything else, I have things to do tonight.”
She began heading toward her car.
“Hot date?”
“No. I’m meeting a friend at a club. The only hot dates I have these days are with your brother and you already know he’s working.” She waited until she was at her car before addressing him again. “In case you didn’t pick up on it, my ex is a vindictive, manipulative bastard. I think that is all you need to know.”
Not giving Seth a chance to respond, she climbed into her car and drove away.
Beth was pulling onto her street when her phone rang. Not wanting to deal with Ben or Seth again, she made sure to check the caller ID. When she saw Drew’s name on the screen, the stress of the last half hour disappeared. “Hello, handsome.”
He laughed. “Hello. You sound like you’re in a good mood.”
Pulling into the driveway, she maneuvered her car into the garage. “I am now.”
She heard some noise in the background and then movement. “Sorry. I’m upstairs trying to get some privacy, but that doesn’t seem to have worked out very well.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Anyway, I called to let you know that you might be getting a visit from my brother. He stopped by earlier today.”
“I know,” she said. “He’s already been to see me.”
A muffled sound came through the phone that almost sounded like a grunt. “I’m sorry. I was going to call you as soon as he left but a call came in and I couldn’t.”
Beth shook her head even though he couldn’t see. “Don’t worry about it. I can handle your brother.”
“I have no doubt. Even so, I know he can be a pain in the ass when he has a bug up his butt about something.”
She loved that Drew was feeling protective of her, but in this case, he didn’t need to be. “Your brother may never approve of us, and I’m okay with that as long as you are.”
“Seth’s opinion doesn’t matter to me.”
“He’s your brother.” Beth felt the need to point that out. Especially considering that Seth was there to hear Ben’s rant.
“And you’re the woman I love.” There it was. Right there. Her chest clenched and she felt moisture fill her eyes. When Drew said he loved her, she knew he meant it. The words weren’t just window dressing or said because he thought it was what she wanted to hear.
“I love you, too.”
This time she did hear an unmistakable groan come through the phone. “I wish I could hold you right now.”
“Will you come over tomorrow morning? We can sleep in. Maybe even spend the entire day in bed.”
“You’re on.”
Beth grinned, but then she remembered that there was something else she needed to tell him. “Drew, something else happened today you should know about. While I was talking to your brother, Ben showed up.”
Drew didn’t comment for a few moments and she wondered if he was working to control his temper. Ben wasn’t one of his favorite subjects—nor hers—for obvious reasons. “What did he have to say?”
She was surprised that Drew sounded rational. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought they were having a conversation about where to meet for coffee. “His wife is making him go to therapy and part of that was him confronting the people in his past. I’m guessing he was supposed to apologize and explain why he did what he did, but of course it didn’t come out that way.”
“He upset you.” Beth could hear the anger in his voice. He was controlling it, but just barely.
“Not as much as you’d think. Honestly, I’m more concerned with Seth’s reaction. Ben thought your brother was my new ‘boy-toy.’ Seth now knows that I dated a married man and that he let me ‘do things to him’. Ben wasn’t specific, luckily, but I’m sure your brother can use his imagination.”
Drew didn’t respond.
“You still there?” she asked.
“Yes.” She imagined he was counting to ten. “Don’t worry about Seth. If he says anything else, just tell him to come talk to me.”
“I already did.”
“Good.” Drew sighed. “This is so hard. I want to be there right now to comfort you.”
“I’m fine. Really. Regarding Ben? Well, seeing him again made me realize that he no longer has any hold over me. I’ve moved on and I’ve found a much better man to spend my time with.”
“Yeah?” She was almost positive he was smiling.
“Yeah.”
“Parker!”
“Coming!” Drew yelled back to whoever had called his name. “Sorry. I’ve got to go.”
“I’ll see you in the morning. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Then he was gone and something she’d been tossing around in her mind came to the forefront once again. Deciding to go with it, she dialed Nicole’s number.
“Need something to keep you busy while your man’s working?”
“Hello to you, too.”
Nicole laughed.
“Do you have some time this afternoon? I could use your help with something,” Beth said.
“Sure. What do you need?”
“I’d like your help picking out a collar for Drew. I want it to be something he can wear at all times.” Nicole would know what he was allowed to wear and what he wasn’t. Beth didn’t want to buy something that he would have to take off whenever he went to work.
“I need to finish what I’m working on, and then I can come over. Say about an hour from now?”
“See you then.”
Beth hung up the phone and headed into the house. She spent the next hour straightening the upstairs and making sure her bedroom was in order. Sunday began another four days off for Drew and she planned to make them memorable.
A little before five there was a knock on her front door. She went to greet Nicole. If they were going to get both a collar for Drew and make it to the club that night, they needed to get going.
Two hours later, Beth was in possession of Drew’s new collar. To the casual observer it looked like a regular watch. Nicole had informed Beth that the only two pieces of jewelry he would be allowed to wear were a wedding ring and a watch. That narrowed down her choices considerably. In the end, however, she’d found the perfect watch and had the back plate engraved. A symbol of their relationship would be pressed against his wrist whenever he wore it.
With that objective accomplished, Beth and Nicole went their separate ways agreeing to meet back up at the club. Beth ran upstairs and tucked the watch in her top drawer before getting ready for a night at the club. Since Drew wasn’t going to be there with her, she opted for a pair of black jeans and a nice top. She wasn’t out to impress anyone and she needed to be comfortable.
Nicole and Jeff were already there when Beth arrived. She stopped to say hi to the two of them and then excused herself to go find Michael. He was a master at rope work and she wanted to see if he’d teach her something. Drew loved to be bound and she wanted the night she collared him to be special.
She found Michael, who also happened to be one of the club’s dungeon monitors, upstairs outside room number four. He was watching Daniel flog someone. She thought she recognized the sub, but she couldn’t be sure since her head was down.
Michael acknowledged her arrival. He also noticed she was alone. “Flying solo tonight?”
“Drew’s working.”
“Ah.” He turned his attention back to the scene in front of him. Considering Daniel was one of the more experienced Doms in the club, Beth knew Michael wasn’t watching for safety reasons. “So what brings you upstairs without a sub in tow? You never were much of a voyeur.”
It was true. The only time she came upstairs to watch was when she wanted to learn something new. “No. I was looking for you, actually.”
He turned to face her. “I’m flattered. What can I do for you?”
“I was hoping you could help me with some rope bondage. Drew likes to be bound and while I can do some simple wrist ties, I was hoping maybe you could show me something a little more involved.”
A huge grin spread across Michael’s face. “Sure. Let’s see if we can find an open room.”