“She fainted during my scene.” Sloan glared at him. “I’ll take care of her.”
“No, she’s my responsibility.”
“You have others to look after. You can’t just leave. I’ll take her home,” Sloan insisted stubbornly.
Tara sighed and sat up. Both men immediately grabbed hold of her, holding her steady. “I’m fine,” she told them. “I can get myself home.”
“You’re not driving,” Alex told her firmly. “You might faint again and run off the road.”
“That’s fine,” she told him, “because I don’t drive. I’ll take a bus.”
Like hell.
“You’re not taking a bus at this time of night.”
“Why not? I do it every other night,” she replied.
She took the bus home at night? Most of the time she didn’t leave here until two or three in the morning. He’d assumed she drove or at least took a taxi.
“Sir? Are you okay?” She looked at him worriedly.
He sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He’d never allow his sub to take the bus, especially at night. Tara might not be his but he could do something about this.
“I don’t like you taking public transportation after dark,” he told her.
“Then how do you expect me to get home?” she asked.
“The club will pay for you to take a taxi.” He’d pay for it, if necessary. He didn’t care. Although he had a feeling once he told Roarke, he’d happily cover the cost. Alex made a mental note to check in with the other waitresses to ensure they had safe transport home.
Sloan cleared his throat.
“I’m taking her home,” Alex snapped at Sloan. “Go find someone else to play with.”
“You’re working,” she protested as he helped her stand, placing an arm around her waist.
“Sloan can take over,” he said.
“So I’m not good enough to look after Tara, but you’ll trust me with all the others?” Sloan asked with amusement.
“Yes,” Alex replied. He didn’t care what anyone read into it. He didn’t care than just hours ago he’d decided to stay well away from Tara, to give her a chance to find a Dom.
Right now, all he cared about was looking after her.
Chapter Two
Alex looked around the apartment in barely-concealed horror. This is where Tara lived? He wouldn’t let a dog live here. Not that it was unclean or untidy. He doubted she had enough stuff for it to ever get messy.
The living area was small with just two small windows to allow light in. The kitchen took up one wall. It had a refrigerator that was so tiny he wondered how much food would actually fit in it. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls and the worn carpet was a horrid yellow-brown color. He couldn’t tell if that was the actual color or it was just badly stained.
There were two doors leading off the living room. He opened both of them. One led to a bathroom with mustard-colored fixtures. The other was storage.
“Where is your bedroom?” he asked.
“It’s a studio apartment,” she said. “You’re in my bedroom. You really didn’t have to walk me inside.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You expected me to just let you walk in alone? In this neighborhood?”
“The neighborhood isn’t as bad as it looks. And I have an alarm.”
Alex glanced at the alarm system. Astonishingly, it actually looked top of the line.
“I’m surprised these apartments have alarms,” he said. He moved over to the fridge, unable to resist looking in. There was a half-full carton of orange juice, some eggs and a few carrots.
“Will you stop snooping around,” she ordered, walking over to the threadbare sofa. She sat down with a sigh.
“You’d think they would fix the holes in the wall before bothering with an alarm,” Alex said as he prowled around. A crate with a blanket over it acted as her coffee table. On top of it were a pile of books.
“The other apartments don’t have alarms,” she told him tiredly.
He frowned as he wondered how she could afford it.
“It was a gift from a friend,” she added.
Alex stiffened at her words. His wife had had lots of ‘gifts’ from friends. He’d only learned later that those
friends
were men she was sleeping with.
“Is that so?” he said coldly.
“What?” she asked looking at him in confusion. “Yes, have you got a problem with that?”
“What kind of friend? That’s a very expensive gift for a
friend
to give you.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked with exasperation. “What do you care how much it cost?”
“Just wondering what you gave them in return.”
She jumped to her feet then let out a low moan and nearly crumpled to the floor. He grabbed her before she could land, scooping her up into his arms. He groaned at the feel of her soft body against his.
Tara barely weighed a thing and he remembered that she’d said she hadn’t eaten in hours. He’d given her a chocolate bar at the club, but that wasn’t enough.
“Put me down,” she ordered, wriggling in his arms.
“Lie still,” he growled as he placed her back on the sofa. She tried to sit up, but he held her down, kneeling on the floor beside her. “Stay there.”
“I just stood up too quickly, I’m fine.”
He gave her a firm look. “You nearly fainted again. I’m ordering you some takeout.”
“It’s too late to eat. Besides, I want you to leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure you’re all right. There’s a pizza place on the corner, I’ll go get you a slice.”
She shook her head. “I can’t eat the pizza there. I’m gluten intolerant. You need to go. You call me a slut, but you want to stay and look after me? Can you see a problem with that?”
“I did not call you a slut,” he said, although he knew he’d implied it. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
She looked at him suspiciously. “Fine,” she said grudgingly after a moment. “You still need to go. I want to sleep.”
The smudges under her eyes seemed to have grown darker and he knew staying here was only delaying her rest.
He stood. “All right, I’m going. But make sure you eat something.”
“Bossy Dom,” she muttered under her breath. He decided to pretend he hadn’t heard her.
“And you are to make an appointment with your doctor to get a check-up. Before you come back to the club, I want a medical certificate stating that you’re well.”
An alarmed look crossed her face. “What? You can’t do that.”
“I can,” he said firmly. “You could have been hurt tonight, Tara. It’s not acceptable.”
Seeing her so lifeless in Sloan’s arms had brought him to near panic. Dismissing his feelings for her wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped. Maybe they could have a relationship without getting serious. After all she’d obviously had
‘friends’
before. One of them had put an alarm system in her apartment. Too bad he hadn’t insisted that she move somewhere safer.
If she was his, he’d have her out of here so quick she’d have no time to protest. Maybe there was some way of getting her to move somewhere safer, somewhere closer to his place.
Alex shook his head. He’d decided to distance himself from her. Hadn’t he? He really wasn’t sure what he wanted right now. He didn’t want a relationship and yet the idea of not seeing her, of her being with someone else made his gut churn.
He needed to get his head together and think this through.
Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead. “Get some sleep. Remember, I want that medical certificate. And make sure you set the alarm behind me.”
As he walked out he couldn’t help but think that there must be some way they could both get what they wanted.
***
The ringing of her phone woke Tara from a deep slumber. She sat up and swiped at her chin. Urgh, she’d been drooling. So unattractive. She was grateful Alex hadn’t stuck around. She really wished he hadn’t insisted on bringing her home last night. Now he’d seen the dump she lived in.
Her phone stopped ringing and she slumped back on her sofa with a sigh. By the time Alex left she’d been too tired to bother making up her bed. She rubbed her eyes. She didn’t feel any more rested after…she looked at her watch…six and a half hours sleep. It wasn’t nearly enough, she felt like she could sleep for days. Her phone rang again and she searched around, finally finding it on the floor under the sofa just as it went silent.
She glanced at the missed calls—they were from her brother, Ben. She called him back as she rummaged around for some coffee.
“Hello.”
“Ben, how are you?” she asked warmly. “Sorry I missed your calls.”
“Hey, sis. I’m good.”
They chatted for a few moments.
“I thought I’d come visit,” Ben said suddenly. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked sharply. “Did you get the check I sent?”
Most of her salary went to Ben. He was twenty and studying to be a doctor. Ben’s trust fund should have covered his college tuition, but when their father had found out that he was gay he’d cut him off completely.
Their mother had died when they were kids and their father was a cold, unloving man. Both of his children had been a disappointment to him.
She still remembered the night Ben had shown up on her doorstep, near tears and shaking. He’d been seventeen. Back then, she’d lived in a nicer apartment in a better part of town. She’d managed to support them both through Ben’s last year of school. Then he’d gotten a scholarship to study medicine at Stanford. She’d been thrilled. But while the scholarship covered his tuition and books, he still needed money for his living expenses.
So she’d taken a job with Tim who paid more, even if the conditions sucked, and she’d moved into this apartment which was much cheaper than the one she’d been living in. Her other apartment had been furnished so she’d shopped around at second-hand stores and flea markets to find the furniture for this apartment.
She’d visited Ben a couple of times, but he’d never been here. She didn’t want him seeing how she lived, it would only make him feel guilty. He thought she’d moved because she to live closer to her work. It hadn’t been a complete lie. This apartment was closer. That was pretty much the only thing it had going for it.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Ben replied, but there was a funny note in his voice.
She stayed silent for a long moment, something she’d learned from Nate. He had a way of getting people to confess everything without saying a word.
Ben sighed. “Chris and I broke up.”
“Oh, Ben, I’m sorry.” She knew Ben would be heartbroken. He and Chris had been seeing each other for six months. She had to admit to feeling a bit relieved, she’d only met Chris once, but she hadn’t been too impressed. He seemed intense and a bit possessive. But Ben had really liked him. “Why don’t I come up for a visit?”
She didn’t know how she’d get the time off, or afford the trip at the moment, but if Ben needed her then she’d be there. The two of them only had each other.
“No, I’m fine, really. I’ve got a major assignment due and I should be studying. I’m just feeling a bit sorry for myself.”
“What happened?”
“He was getting really jealous. I couldn’t talk to another man without him flying off the handle so I had to break it off with him.”
“Sounds like you’re better off.”
“Yeah, I know. Like I said, I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”
They chatted for a while before hanging up. With a sigh, she curled up in the corner of her sofa and sipped on her coffee. She should to go to the store and buy some food, but she really didn’t feel like doing anything except vegging out and reading a book.
Her cell phone rang again and she picked it up, smiling as she saw who was calling.
“Ava, how are you feeling?” she said.
“Bored, bored, bored,” Ava replied. Roarke and Sam’s wife was pregnant with her first child and she was having a tough time with her pregnancy.
Tara chuckled.
“I’m sick of wallowing around the house, so I’m hoping that you’ll be up for coming over and having a few non-alcoholic drinks out by the pool. Max will pick you up and drop you home.” Max was Roarke’s driver.
“That sounds fantastic, I’ll be ready.”
***
Tara sat back with a laugh. There was nothing like being with your friends to make all your problems fade away. At least for a while. She looked around the table. Tilly sat to her left. She was laughing at a story McKenna, Ava’s good friend, was telling.
Beside McKenna sat Jacey. Jacey was married to Derrick, who was a member of Club Decadence. He was gorgeous and rich, with a sexy British accent. He was also totally in love with his petite wife.
Jacey stood and moved around the table, refilling everyone’s glasses. Holly smiled up at Jacey. Holly was happily married to Brax Jamieson. Brax and Holly didn’t live in Austin but they often came to visit. Holly covered a yawn with her hand. She looked so tired, poor thing. Wyatt, her eight-week old baby, was keeping his parents up late at night.
Tara thanked Jacey as she refilled her glass.
“I’m so glad you guys came today,” Ava said. “I’ve been so bored.” Ava’s pregnancy was really taking a toll on her; she had high blood pressure and insomnia. And she still had another four months to go.
“Are you feeling better, Tara?” Tilly asked as she stared at the table laden down with delicious food.
“You haven’t been feeling well, Tara?” Ava asked.
“She fainted at the club last night,” Jacey replied. Jacey’s husband, Derrick was the friend who had paid for the alarm system in Tara’s apartment. He’d brought her home one night from the club and had been troubled by the neighborhood she lived in. He had insisted on putting in an alarm system in to try and keep her safe. This was before he’d met Jacey.
“How did you hear that?” Tara asked. “I didn’t see you and Derrick at the club last night.”
“Come on, you know what bad gossips Doms are. Roarke told Derrick.”
“Well he didn’t tell me,” Ava said indignantly. “Neither did Sam.”
“They didn’t tell you because they didn’t want you to worry,” Tara said gently. “But there’s no need to worry, I’m fine. My blood sugar levels were low, that’s all.”
Tilly sent her a sceptical look but didn’t say anything.
“Roarke has become so overprotective,” Ava lamented. “And Sam is even joining in. I don’t know how I’m going to last another four months.”
“What did your doctor say?” Tara asked, grateful for a change in conversation.
“I have to rest and not stress. Roarke’s taken that to mean I can’t leave the house. As soon as I get up, either he or Sam are trying to usher me back into bed. They nearly had a fit when I said I wanted to go shopping yesterday. Mind you, I shouldn’t complain,” Ava said with a small smile. “They do look after me very well and they’re just worried. I’m pretty lucky.”
She was. Tara would give anything to have someone love her the way Roarke and Sam loved Ava. Her mind drifted to Alex. She could see him acting the same way as Roarke and Sam. If he ever fell in love she had no doubt he’d cherish the lucky woman.
But that person wouldn’t be her. He’d made that clear. She knew his concern over her last night didn’t mean anything; he’d do the same for any of the other subs who worked at the club.
“Is Derrick looking after Amalie?” Tara asked Jacey, trying to take her mind away from Alex. Jacey’s little girl was four months old and adorable.
“Yep. I’m really lucky he’s so hands on with her. He practically pushed me out the door. They adore each other.”
“Brax is the same way with Wyatt,” Holly said. “I just wish Wyatt would sleep longer than two hours at a time.” Wyatt had been four weeks premature and he’d had to spend a bit of time in the hospital after he was born until the doctors had been happy with his lung function.
“So, Tara, tell us what happened last night,” Ava said.
Damn it, she should have known she wasn’t going to get away with trying to change the subject. Tara sighed.
“You didn’t look well, Tara,” Tilly said with concern. “My heart nearly stopped when I saw you slumped in Sloan’s arms.”
“Ohhh, Sloan’s arms, huh?” Jacey said. “That man is hot.”
“He’s kind of scary,” Tilly added.
“Sounds like my kind of man,” McKenna joked.