I’d always avoided Valentine’s Day at all costs, never wanting anyone to feel as if I was either taking advantage of them or reading more into things than was there. I hadn’t, however, thought twice about sleeping with Addison on Valentine’s Day. I trusted that she would see it for what it was, and nothing more.

We’d only been ‘snowed in’ that one night, but after having spent so much time together, it had been strange when she’d gone back to her place, leaving me completely alone for the first time since we left for Texas. I’d been worried that, once we’d been apart for a couple days, we’d see each other at work and things would be awkward.

But they weren’t.

We got along just as well as we had before. The only awkward moment had come when Dr. Edison had come into the lab looking for Pansy, and I’d had to explain why she wasn’t there. At least the paperwork I possessed to prove that Addison had indeed been infected supported my decision to send her back to Atlanta and alert Dr. Fenster that I’d taken it upon myself to fire Pansy. He’d backed me up without question, trusting my judgment, but having the evidence to back it up made me feel better.

He’d also made sure security had escorted her to her desk, waited while she’d packed up her things, and then escorted her out. Rumor had it, she’d cussed them out non-stop. She’d left a few nasty voicemails and sent a couple vicious texts, but I’d blocked her number, and that had been that.

Addison and I had spent a few hours together Wednesday night, where I taught her a little bit about orgasm denial. I didn’t, however, tell her that spending nearly forty-five minutes teasing her with my mouth, my fingers, and a vibrator had tortured me as much as it had her.

Yesterday, I’d asked her to join me at the club where we’d met before, but this time as an official date. Well, not a ‘date’ in the sense of us defining what we were doing as dating, but just as us going somewhere together.

I was aware, every time I thought of this, that I was simply making excuses, and I needed to accept the fact that I wanted us to have a more solid definition of who we were to each other. I refused to dwell on it, however, knowing that if I changed anything, I could lose Addison entirely, and I wasn’t willing to risk that.

Besides, I didn’t want a relationship with her. I just didn’t want anyone else to have her. We’d agreed to be monogamous, and I’d been telling the truth when I said that it was so that we didn’t have to return to using condoms, but I couldn’t deny the jealousy I felt at the idea of her with another man.

Tonight, however, I would walk into the club with her on my arm, and it would be clear to everyone there that she was off-limits.

I gave her another sideways glance as she smoothed down her skirt. I’d picked her up rather than having her meet me since I didn’t want her going inside alone. The club was usually adept at keeping out the unsavory element who too often liked to take advantage of new people looking into the BDSM lifestyle, but I didn’t trust anyone else to keep Addison safe, especially not after I learned her friends, Dorly and Codie, wouldn’t be there.

“Are you certain you’re comfortable coming back here?” I asked. “Going here isn’t something I feel strongly that I need. I don’t have a personal connection, I mean.”

She reached over and took my hand. “I’m curious,” she admitted. “I think I’ll be able to see it through different eyes than I had before. Plus, it’s at least one place where the chances of running into someone from work are slim.”

“I agree.” I squeezed her hand, hoping she’d understand that I wasn’t ashamed of her or anything like that. Work finding out about us was a headache that neither of us needed.

My heart was thudding as we pulled into the parking garage next to the club. I’d never been nervous coming in here before, but this would be the first time I’d come with someone aside from that first time.

I had a sudden, sinking feeling that my choice to let her in would come back to bite me in the ass.

I stepped around to her side of the car but wasn’t quick enough to get the door for her. Still, I offered her my hand and helped her get out. I didn’t release her as we walked away, but rather pulling her closer, so I could tuck her hand around my arm.

“Remember, if you want to leave, just say the word,” I said as we approached the door.

She nodded, then stretched up to kiss my cheek. “Relax. Everything’s going to be fine.”

I smiled, but I knew I wouldn’t relax until I saw how comfortable she was.

We stayed near the edges of the Friday night crowd, but before too long, she pulled me onto the dance floor. I tried to protest, but then she’d given me a mischievous smile, and I knew she’d done it on purpose, wanting to push my own limits.

I was nothing if not up for a challenge.

It took me a minute to find the rhythm, but when I stopped trying to follow the music, and instead followed Addison, it came easily. I reached out and put my hands on her hips, drawing her to me. In my peripheral vision, I saw more than a few people watching us, but I didn’t give them anything more than cursory attention. I wasn’t here for them.

She reached up and put her hands on my shoulders, sliding them across, and then up around my neck. We had a few inches between our bodies, but that didn’t stop the electricity that flowed back and forth.

The music was background noise, the lights a mere backdrop. We moved together as if we’d been doing it for years. I’d never enjoyed dancing because I’d never really been in sync with someone, but Addison and I had some sort of instinct when it came to each other. When the song changed, our rhythm matched it, both of us adapting at the same time without a word said.

Something about being with her had altered me in some deeply profound way that I didn’t fully understand yet. I’d always accepted my sexual preferences as a part of who I was, but it wasn’t until now that being here felt natural. This was something I wanted. A place to go where the two of us could be who we were and no one would judge.

And then it hit me. This was what Jax wanted, the reason why he’d continued to look for ways to build his club even after Grandfather had told him that it wasn’t something Hunter Enterprises should get into. The club that Jax built would be better than this one. He hadn’t told me any of his plans, but I knew my brother well enough to know that he wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than perfection.

I needed to call him and tell him that I understood now. But that wasn’t the only reason why. I was tired of ignoring the issues between us. Having dinner with Slade had made me realize that, no matter how many times I said that I enjoyed being alone, I missed my brothers. What happened to us should have brought us together, but instead, it’d torn us apart. Grandfather had wanted us to mend our relationships, even if he’d gone about it in a less-than-orthodox manner.

Slade wasn’t ready yet, and I had a feeling Blake would be the hardest to reach, but my most recent conversation with Jax made me think that things could start with us.