Taking Courage (9 page)

“You
did well today.” He pulled her tighter.
“With the project and
in your submission.”

“Thank
you.” His praise rang true in her heart. “That's kind of you to say.”

“It's
simply the truth, Janna.”

“Project
management work has always come natural for me, and well, you know I'm new to
submission, but it feels so right.”

“I
see that.” They sat quietly for several more minutes. Eventually, he scooted out
from under her and left her on the chair alone. “I'm looking forward to your
performance at the Board meeting tomorrow.”

He
rifled through his briefcase, digging for something and no longer paying her
any attention. She dragged her feet together and yanked at her top. She tugged
at her bra and blouse, needing them to be closed. Her fingers struggled to
latch each button.

Just
a few weeks ago she didn't know if her love for submission was just for the
books she devoured. Now, she knew she loved the actual role. She knew. She also
had a fabulous new job tailored to her strengths. The extra bonus was the
distance between her and her father. He might not get firsthand knowledge of
her success here, but he also couldn't nit-pick her troubles to death.

She'd
learned something today. Simon had a strong enough will to hold her to her word
and the kindness to forgive her. She also now knew she craved his attention. At
that moment she wanted nothing more than for Simon to look at her.

“Simon.”

“Keep
your head in the game tomorrow. Don't let their attitudes get to you.”

“I'll
be fine. I'm not worried about the meeting. I'll be ready.”

“Watch
out for Keller. You can't always predict his motives. He's a sneaky bastard.”

“Simon,
look at me.”

Finally
he stopped searching his bag for whatever he couldn’t seem to find and looked
at her. She wanted to tell him to come back to her. She needed his arms around
her. How in this short time had his high opinion become such a need?

She
walked to him and into his open arms.

“I
don't know if I'm ready for this?” He pulled back from their embrace and looked
at her directly.

“I'm
probably not either, but I'm not willing to stop it.”

“You're
courageous.” He pulled her tight again and planted a sweet kiss on her
forehead.

“Hardly.”

“Yes,
you are. You walked into the club with determination, and that took a lot of
guts.”

“Maybe
it was stupid.”

“Don't.
Don't ever diminish yourself. Not many people have the guts to follow a hunch
through. You took a physical and emotional risk opening yourself to me at the
club and again here.” He stepped back, took hold of her hands and swung her
arms out wide. “You take my breath away.”

He
let go of her, and she barreled into his chest. His encouragement washed over
her like a new day. Approval was a new emotion to Janna. She didn't want to
give it too much weight, but at this moment she'd give anything to keep it.

Warning
signs tried to peck at her peripheral thoughts. She shoved them away to analyze
another day. His hand caressed her back.

“Give
me a second and I'll escort you home.”

“Really?”
She wanted to
giggle at his choice of words, but she liked the idea. She could get used to
Simon taking care of her.

“Yes,
I want to see where my pet lives.” He kissed her, claiming her mouth with
languid sweeps of his tongue. “While I'm gathering my things, go and get the
next sized plug.”

Shit.

“Move.”

Chapter Six

Wednesday
morning her life started with speed. In a heap, Janna landed in her office.
Within a few minutes she had the day spread out over her desk. Lists were
filling up left and right with items to check and cross check. She had a half a
dozen follow-up meetings scheduled, and any of those could create an avalanche
of problems in the project’s scope.

Coming
into a job with only a few days before a presentation was a ridiculous task. This
was the last time she'd allow it to happen. Keller got an earful from her late
yesterday about the perils of scoping too quickly. He agreed with her of
course. When she was done, she felt better, and if she wasn't mistaken, she'd
guess Keller felt better, too.

Her
office phone rang, and she picked it up without looking at the caller I.D.

“Hi, Janna.
How's day three
going?”

“Dad.”
She didn't need
his pestering. “What is it, Dad? I'm going to be late for a meeting.”

“You
sound stressed.”

“I'm
fine. There's a scope meeting tonight on the project I was assigned Monday, and
I have a lot to do.”

“Tonight?
Why are they
throwing you into the deep end?”

“Well,
they think I can handle it.”

He
cleared his throat. “I got a call this morning from Harry, down at Shaver
Industries. You remember Harry, right?”

“Of
course, I remember Harry. He's your fraternity brother.”

“He
has an opening for a Project Manager that we think you'd be perfect for.”

“Dad,
I have a job. I like being here in Chicago.”

“Sure,
today. This opportunity might not come around again. It's the step up you've
been waiting for.” He cleared his throat again. “I don't like the way they're
setting you up for failure over there.”

“Dad,
they are not setting me up.” Janna tugged at the neckline of her blouse. “Now,
I've got to finish getting ready for my meeting.”

“Okay,
but think about it. Your mother and I want you back home, and I'm not sure how
to explain to folks what you're doing in Chicago anyway.
First
Mike and now this.”

“Thanks
for calling, Dad. I'll call you later.” She hung up from the downward spiraling
conversation. Fighting with her father got her nowhere. They both ended up
exhausted, and he still wouldn't see things other than in his own way.

She
didn't know what bothered her more, the job from his buddy or that he’d brought
up that no good scoundrel of an ex. She’d keep her promise to her mom. If he
called back, she’d continue to make their conversations short.

She
walked with slumped shoulders to the bathroom. Sometimes a splash of water
helped to
unrattle
her. Her hand landed on the door,
and she heard voices from inside.

“How
are things working out for Janna?”

Not
one to eavesdrop, she pushed her way into the bathroom and walked to the sink.

“Hi, Janna.
We were just
wondering how you're doing,” Anne said. Her brow wrinkled with what looked like
concern.

“Hi, Anne.
I'm doing all right.”
She turned to the woman next to Anne. “I met you yesterday at the technical
writers meeting.
Lydia, right?”

“Yes,
that's me.”

Lydia's
brows drew together, too. Maybe she'd call them the worry twins.

“Should
I be worried about something?”

“I
didn't know Simon when Kelly hurt—”

“Lydia,
be careful. Maybe he hasn't shared his history yet.”

“Shit,
I'm still new at this, sorry.” Lydia tucked her dark hair behind her ear.

“That's
okay, Lydia. I know just that someone lied to him and hurt him badly. I'm
hoping he'll tell me the rest when he's ready.” Janna had several secrets she
needed to share, too.

“He
will. You're smart not to rush him though.” Lydia took a step closer. “Just
know that you can come to either of us if you have any questions. We’re both
members of the club.”

“Really?”
She looked
between the two women. “Wait, so Keller, Simon, and now the two of you, too.
Wow.”

“Keller
likes to hire people he trusts, but not everyone who works here is a member of
Club Voyage, and the majority of club members work somewhere else.”

“Like
Charlie?”

“Yes.
Her B&B is amazing. We should go there for brunch and talk her ear off.”

“I’d
love that.” Janna remembered the few conversations she’d had with Charlie. The
Dominatrix had given her some of the best advice.

“Her
blueberry scones are to die for. Everything she makes is good.” Anne pulled out
her phone. “I’ll text Charlie right now.”

Lydia
put her arm around Janna. “You're not alone here.”

“Thanks,
I don't know what I don't know, and I hate that feeling.”

“Are
we talking about Simon or the project?”

“Both.”
They all said in unison releasing what was left of the tension in the room.

“Charlie
says to come this Sunday. She’ll have scones and coffee waiting for us.”

“Thank
you.” A weight lifted from Janna’s shoulders. “Now I need to find a way to worry
about Simon and my training later.” She took a cleansing breath. “First, I need
to get this scope approved tonight.” Setting priorities usually helped her to
keep her head clear. “Who do I need to be concerned about?”

Anne
spoke up first. “Keller, the rest of the board will follow his lead. He's a
hard one to interpret.” She shook her head. “He takes strange paths sometimes,
and it's not always easy to see why. My advice, play along with him. Don't get
dragged into his neuroses.”

“Okay,
good. What else?”

“Have
you talked to Marcus yet? He tends to find a weak link,” Lydia offered.

“Yes,
we talked yesterday, and I have a follow-up with him later this morning.” The
comfort of newfound friends took the edge of the day away.

“Excellent.
And remember after today, we are one step closer to Friday night.” Lydia rubbed
her hands together. “We both can lean on Anne here. I'm only a couple months
into my journey, so
don't
follow my lead.”

“Oh,
great, now there's a dangerous proposal.
Me, the unattached
submissive, giving advice.
Bad idea.”

“Don't
be ridiculous, Anne.” Lydia wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders.
“She's already helped me a ton.”

“I
wouldn't agree, not with the spanking you got last Friday.” Anne bumped Lydia's
hip.

“I
did push Jake too far last week. But in your defense, you did warn me.”

“I
still can't believe you got a tattoo without talking to him first.” Anne shook
her head.

Lydia
put a hand over her heart. “I'm just glad he took the time to notice his
initials in the lock before he spanked my ass.” Her gaze drifted off.

“Should
we leave her alone?” Janna looked at Anne, and the two shared a quick giggle.

“I
wonder if Jake will give us a replay on Friday.” Anne took a step closer to
Janna. “I'm not sure which of them enjoys those spankings more.”

“Are
you guys talking about me?” Lydia's gaze lowered to them, and an adorable blush
kissed her checks. “Sorry, kind of got lost in a memory there.”

“Aw,”
Janna and Anne said in unison.

“All
right, you two just wait.” She pointed at them.

“Don't
hold your breath.” Anne shrugged her shoulders. “What were we talking about?”

“You
guys were giving me tips in prepping for the board meeting.”

“Right,”
Lydia said. “You should be careful around Gina.”

“She's
in your technical writers group, too, right?
The one with the
long dark hair and striking blue eyes.”

“Yes, lucky me.
Her desk is
next to mine. She's been pretty quiet lately, but I'd still be careful around
her. She tends to cause trouble.”

“Thank
you both for this. Your help is invaluable.”

Anne
grabbed her hands. “I'll give you one piece of advice for tonight and Simon.
Follow your instinct and be honest.”

She
took their advice, and the day flew by. Meeting after meeting Janna got a
deeper and clearer view of the details. She had one more hour to double check
her slides and figure out what she was missing. There was always something
between the lines that a good Project Manager could find. What was it?

The
last hour ended without an answer.

“Are
you ready?”

She
sat back in her chair, ready to give up.

“Simon,
I'm missing something, and for the life of me I can't figure it out.”

“You've
been at this for three days. We're already worlds ahead from where we were.
Now, come on before I get tempted to spank your ass for doubting yourself.”

“That
sounds better than facing your board.”

He
shook his head and dragged her from her chair. “Come on, they're our board now.
You're a part of this team, remember?”