Safeword Interrupted (The Cattail Club Book 1) (13 page)

Chapter Seventeen

“Where the hell is he?” Bethany pressed the end button to disconnect the call, after leaving a message for Deacon to call her on his voice mail. After spending the rest of the evening vegging in front of the boob tube, she’d crawled into her bed mentally and physically worn. Her head had hit the pillow and that was the last thing she remembered. Now ten hours later, with her stomach settled from Mama Willis’s tea, she’d finally felt stable enough to talk to her Dom about their future. First, she had to get a hold of him.

Resting her hand over the slight swell of her belly, she tipped her head back to stare at the ceiling. It seemed crazy but now that she knew she really was pregnant, she swore she could feel the minute changes her body was already undergoing. She might not be showing, but her breasts were sensitive, and she seemed to be retaining a bit of water. But it didn’t matter – because in the end she would be holding a living, breathing proof of the love she shared with Deacon. A surprise she hadn’t expected to share with her Dom for at least a couple more years. “But they say God works in mysterious ways.”

When her stomach rumbled, she tossed her phone on the couch, and made her way to the kitchen. It didn’t take her long to make a couple pieces of dry toast. After drizzling a bit of honey marmalade on it – get real…she wasn’t about to eat toast plain – she made her way back to the couch. Sinking into its lush embrace, she nibbled on her toast and stared blankly at the chipper morning show on TV, while debating with herself whether tracking Deacon down was a good option, or if she should give him another day to cool off. If he kept ignoring her, the chances of her doing the former were high.

She wondered if he expected her to wait at home like a good little sub while he sorted he mess out in his own mind. “It would serve him right if I just washed my hands of the whole business. Quit my job and left town. I could do it. Chet has already offered me a job as the manager of his Iowa City office.”

But even as she muttered the words, she knew she couldn’t do that to him or their kiddo. Every child deserved to know his or her dad. She wouldn’t put their child through the hell Deacon had gone through growing up. While LeRoy had tried his best to step in and fill the void of their absent father for both Deacon and his brother, it still wasn’t the same as having a man in the house 24/7. She shook her head. No - leaving wasn’t even a viable option. Somehow, she and Deacon would have to come to an agreement – even if it meant they wouldn’t necessarily be together.

Sighing, she reached for the tea on the end table, when her phone began to vibrate against her thigh. She fumbled with it, then scowled at the waiting text.

Take the weekend off – think about what it is you want from me. We’ll talk on Monday. ~D

She began to tremble – with anger, with hurt, or even a bit of humiliation. She knew she’d asked for a bit of time, but to go the whole weekend without seeing him, without hearing his voice, or feeling his arms around her? She didn’t know if she could do it.

“And to be told via text? That creep! What an asshole!” Righteousness filled her, and riding along was the need to kick her Dom’s very tight ass. It’d be a cold day in hell that she’d let him get away with such condescending behavior. She may be a sexual submissive, but her pregnancy had nothing to do with their bedroom antics – well, it did in an obscure way. “But not to the point that I’m going to let him dictate how we’re going to deal with this.”

Pushing up off the couch, she glanced at the clock. By the time she dressed, and made the twenty minute drive to the bar, Deacon should be neck deep in vendors and supply orders as he made certain Spurs and Chaps was ready for the weekend rush that would start in a few hours.

* * * *

Standing behind the bar, Tim was the first person to catch sight of Bethany as she stomped through the door. He paused, then smiled at her. “Hey, Bethany. I wasn’t expecting to see you today. Deacon said you were going to be gone for the weekend – something about a new mommy needing her rest.”

She glared at him. “Don’t even start with me, espresso man. I have a bone to pick with our boss.”

He gaped at her, then tried to stop her as she headed toward Deacon’s office. “He’s not here.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sure he’s not. I saw his truck in the parking lot.” Determined to get this done and over with she stalked down the hall toward his office, uncaring that Tim was still protesting. She jerked open the door, her anger riding her hard. “Listen here, Mr. High and Mighty Master, you may tell me what to do in the bedroom but-”

Her words froze in her throat as what she was seeing registered. Sitting in Deacon’s desk chair was a foxy redhead, wearing a familiar uniform shirt from their local distributor with her tan khakis hanging off one leg, while a kneeling man buried his face in her pussy. She blinked twice as the woman’s legs climbed up to rest on his shoulders, and her breathing hitched. The familiar glazed look in them, assured Bethany that the woman was well on her way to coming all over the man’s tongue.

Or would’ve been climaxing - if the man hadn’t jerked his head back at the sound of Bethany’s voice.

He looked over his shoulder and swore. “Son of a bitch – Bethany – what the hell are you doing here?” Steven’s eyes seemed to bug out as he tried to untangle his body from under the redhead’s clinging embrace.

“I didn’t tell you to stop, baby.” The redhead pouted, but as he continued to struggle to free himself, she glared at Bethany and tightened her thighs around his shoulders. “You promised you’d eat me until I begged for you to stop.”

“But I gotta explain…” His gaze darted from Bethany to the vendor.

“Fuck that. She can fucking wait her turn.” The woman buried her hand in his hair, then jerked on the blond strands. “Now get back to licking, or momma’s gonna take it out on your ass.”

Bethany nearly choked on her sudden laughter. The last thing she’d expected was to catch Deacon’s brother in the act. Unlike the last time, where the sight of the woman moaning over her Sir’s desk had made her beyond hot, the sights and sounds of this bossy lady did nothing for her – other than give her a severe case of the giggles.

“Dear Lord, Steven. Don’t leave the woman hanging. Just make sure you clean up after yourself – or your brother will kick your ass.” She gave the woman an apologetic look. “Sorry for the interruption…carry on.”

Then she slipped back down the hall – and glared at the chuckling bartender. She planted her hands on her hips. “Think that’s funny, do you?”

Tim nodded and wiped at his eyes. “As hell.”

She gave a reluctant smile. “I’ve got to learn to knock. Let’s just hope Deacon doesn’t catch wind of what his brother is up to. He’ll be pissed if Steven fucks up his deal with that particular vendor – especially after all the haggling he had to do to get the rates he wanted.”

“True.” Tim busied himself behind the bar. “So what had you so hot under the collar you want to tear a piece off Deacon?”

She sighed and slipped onto the barstool. “Him…just being him.” She propped her chin on her hand, as Tim made her a Shirley Temple. “For some reason he thinks he can boss me around.”

“Well, that’s what Doms do, sweetheart.” He gave her a wink as he added a plump
maraschin
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cherry to the sparkling pink soda.

She shook her head, but accepted the drink. “In the bedroom only. He knows better than to try and dictate to me about my job.” She took a sip – the flavor of ginger ale and grenadine bursting along her tongue. “You’d think he’d realize that.”

Tim leaned up against the bar. “Right now you have that man running scared. He’s not thinking clearly about anything other than losing you.”

She furrowed her brow. “He hasn’t lost me yet. But if he doesn’t straighten up his act, he may. Accusing me of crazy ass things, then telling me we’re gonna get married just because I’m pregnant.” She toyed with the straw. “Sometimes I wonder about him.”

“Look, I know things are rough between you two right now. An unplanned pregnancy will do that.”

“Especially when the man in question doesn’t want to have kids. I nearly had to beg him to think about it as a possibility in the future.” She chewed on her lower lip, fearful that Deacon might never warm up to the idea of being a Dad. That he’d marry her, but then become a stranger - not a real partner - only existing in their home. Self-doubt filled her. Was she doing the right thing? “Maybe he’s right.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose. “Perhaps he isn’t cut out for this parenthood thing. Hell, I don’t think I’m ready either.”

“Before you do something rash, Bets, talk to the man.” Chet appeared beside her. She gaped at him. With his left eye blackened, his nose purple and swollen, and an oozing cut on his upper lip, her friend looked like he’d been on the losing side of five rounds with George Foreman.

She pivoted in her seat. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Your boy-friend is what happened.” Chet muttered, before stiffly turning to Tim. “You won’t have an ice pack or three behind there, would you?”

“Sure thing, slugger.” He reached under the bar, pulled out a Ziploc and filled it with crushed ice, some cubes, and a bit of water. Handing it to Chet, he shook his head. “Maybe next time you’ll think twice about challenging Deacon for her, hmmm?”

Bethany groaned. “Damnit, Chet. You didn’t!”

Holding the makeshift ice bag to his nose, Chet shrugged. “Maybe next time he’ll think twice about making you cry.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m supposed to cry – I’m freakin’ preggers.” She slapped at his arm. “So what the hell did you say to set him off?”

He tried to give her an innocent look. “Who said I said anything?”

She gave him a pointed glance. “Dude, you told the president of the university that even if he gave you a full ride you weren’t going to date his horse-faced daughter.”

He shrugged. “She was a clingy, whiney bitch who only wanted to date me to get back at her ex. I didn’t need that kinda of drama in my life.”

She arched a brow at him. “And the fact that she wanted you to tie her up and spank her had nothing to do with it?”

“Maybe.” He rolled his shoulders. “You know me too well. Ropes and floggers are great – as long as they are being used on me. Marking up my woman is medieval.”

“Anyone ever tell you you’re a bit of a snob?” Tim growled.

“All the time – but I love what I love.” Chet lifted the ice pack off his nose. “Damn, your man has a killer right hook. But it was worth the five grand to find out his intentions.”

“What do you mean five grand?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“Good going, genius.” Tim groaned. “I’m pretty sure Deacon didn’t want her to find out…”

“What? That he got into a big enough fight with me that his uncle fined both of our asses?”

Her mind whirled. The only way LeRoy would fine the men was if… “Don’t tell me you got into a knock down - drag out brawl at the club.”

He grinned. “Yep, and I got the grass stains to prove it.”

“Idiot!” She smacked him upside the head despite the bruises. “What the hell were you thinking!”

“I wanted answers.” He rolled his shoulders, then fell silent.

Bethany waited impatiently for him to continue, but as the silence dragged on, she grew irritated. “And?”

“That man loves you – and the babe you carry.”

She placed a hand over her stomach. “Do you know he thinks he’s not capable of being a dad, because his own father walked out on him?”

Chet shook his head. “No, but that would explain part of the reason he wants the baby badly enough to risk losing his membership at the club.”

She looked at him blankly. “What do you mean?”

“You know I don’t talk much about Elaine, right?” Chet shifted on the barstool.

“Your last mistress? The one who died in the car accident.” Bethany remembered hearing about the freak accident that had killed Chet’s lover. A semi driver on the Eisenhower had fallen asleep at the wheel and slammed head on into Elaine’s car, killing her instantly.

He nodded. “Yeah.” He set the ice pack on the bar. “But what no one knows is that we’d just found out that she was pregnant. She was talking to me on her Bluetooth when it happened. She’d been to the doctor, and even though she’d thought she’d never have kids because of a medical issue, she was nervous but happy. She said it was because she was carrying a piece of me inside her.” He took a deep breath. “I heard the same thing in Deacon’s voice today. He might not have planned on this, but he wants both you and the child you made together.”

“He has a helluva a way of showing it.” She couldn’t keep the whiny tone out of her voice.

“So he can be an asshole at times – he’s a typical man.” Chet shrugged. “But knowing you – you love him all the more for it.”

She sobered. It was true. When other people saw nothing but the asshole façade he showed the world, she remembered the man who had given her a job when she was still reeling from her breakup with Ryan. When others saw him as a dominating prick, she saw a man who knew exactly how to trip her trigger. But more importantly, when others were pissed off because of his possessive attitude, she felt loved – knowing that if he truly didn’t care, he’d have let her do anything she wanted. “I do. He may not be every woman’s dream man…”