Oak, Sophie - Siren in Waiting [Texas Sirens 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (15 page)

Trev came awake slowly for once. Usually his morning began with the rude awakening of an alarm clock. His life at The Club had been deeply regimented, beginning with a workout session every morning at 5:30 a.m. Leo would be at his door before dawn, dressed in sweats and sneakers. Trev had gotten used to getting up early.

Early-morning light filtered through the filmy curtains that covered the window panes. It was a soft, white-and-yellow light that made everything seem gauzy and slightly unreal. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was ancient, but it seemed to be working. 7:30. He let his eyes drift closed again. There was no hurry to get up this morning.

Trev turned and smiled as he felt soft, warm flesh against his body. Beth shifted in her sleep, the sweetest whimper coming out of her mouth as she curled into his body. Her head found his chest, her hair tickling his skin.

Beth.

Damn, he was in deep. He’d planned on introducing her to some bondage once he’d gotten into bed with her, but as soon as he’d kissed those sweet lips, he hadn’t found the discipline to do anything but fuck her again. After he’d rung a couple of orgasms out of her, he’d come for what felt like forever. He should have fallen straight to sleep, but he’d found himself sitting up and talking to her.

He sighed and brushed her hair back from her face, feeling a sweet sense of peace. He hadn’t felt this calm and happy in a long while.

He wasn’t due out on the O’Malley Ranch for a couple of hours. There was plenty of time. He could sleep for a while and then get up, and he and Beth could make breakfast and talk some more.

Damn, he liked her. She was smart as a whip and had a sweetly sarcastic sense of humor that wasn’t obvious on the surface. He was going to enjoy the next year.

He had just settled back down when he heard the door downstairs squeak. His eyes flew back open. He was going to fix that door first thing. He gently eased away, reluctant to let her go, but god only knew what critters would wander into the house and set up a nest if he didn’t go and secure the door.

Stretching, Trev looked back at his sleeping lover. She was turned on her side, her hands close to her face. The sun kissed her porcelain skin. How had she stayed a virgin for so long? She was tempting as hell lying there with those soft breasts and round hips. She was perfectly fuckable and so giving that she would be a perfect sub to the right Dom.

Was he the right Dom?

He’d never had a sub before. He’d trained and practiced, but deep inside he wondered if he would ever take a permanent submissive. He certainly hadn’t expected one so soon. With his track record, he wasn’t sure he should. What if he dove back down into that hole he’d spent years in? How would he take care of her? He wouldn’t. He’d never been a violent drunk, but he’d been horribly neglectful. He couldn’t think of a worse thing for a Dom to be.

He wouldn’t go there. He wouldn’t give in. Not today. Tomorrow would come, and he would have to make the decision all over again, but he was going to be okay today.

Voices. He heard soft voices talking deep in the recesses of the house. They were muffled, but there was no mistaking it. This wasn’t the raccoon or the wind. Every nerve went on full alert. Who the hell was in Beth’s house? Whoever it was, they were about to find out that Beth Hobbes had a keeper who didn’t appreciate early-morning visitors.

Unless they’d brought coffee. Damn, but he could use a cup of coffee.

He slipped on his jeans, careful not to wake his sleeping beauty. Who the hell thought to call her Mouse? Her beauty was quiet, but there was nothing mouselike about her.

The floor creaked under his feet, groaning as though it truly resented having to bear the weight of someone walking on it. This house was going to fall in on itself.

“Well, that’s his truck out there. I just wonder how he ended up here.” Shelley’s voice floated up to the second floor.

He sighed. He’d forgotten to call her after he’d stomped out of the house in a fit of anger. Had she and Bryce been looking for him all night? That should have put his brother-in-law in a great mood.

“You said this was a woman’s house? I can come up with a scenario on how he ended up here.”

Leo? What the hell?

Trev took the rickety steps two at a time. “Shell? Leo?”

His mentor stood in the living room looking down at the ruined chandelier. He looked slightly out of place in the old house. He was dressed in perfectly pressed slacks and a dress shirt. Which was odd, because Leo was fairly casual. He tended to prefer T-shirts and jeans when he wasn’t in his leathers. Leo had apparently dressed up for the occasion. Leo Meyer was thirty-five, and despite the fact that he was an inch or two shorter than Trev’s six foot five, there was no way to miss the commanding nature of the man. Leo had been Trev’s keeper those first few months. The fact that he was here now made Trev nervous.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Trev asked, striding into the living room.

Leo’s eyes narrowed. “Well, you disappeared on your first night alone. Your sister was very concerned. She called me at midnight last night. I drove down to help her look for you.”

There it was, that voice Leo used to let Trev know he’d fucked up royally and had better get straight. It was the same voice the Master Dom used on subs, and a part of Trev actually wanted to snarl a bit at his mentor. He would never let another man use that tone on him, but Leo had earned a lot of patience from him.

He turned to Shelley, genuinely remorseful. She’d gone to bed by the time he’d taken off, but it was obvious that her asshole husband had told her, and probably put the worst possible spin on it.

“Shell, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Bryce said you left.”

Bryce had basically told him to get out. After Shelley had gone to bed, Bryce had been right there in his face, telling him how he was going to ruin his sister’s life and reputation. Bryce had gone over everything Trev had done wrong. In the end, he had walked out rather than put his fist through Bryce’s face.

“I thought it was best. I shouldn’t have come down early. I should have waited until the foreman’s house was ready for me.” Only then he wouldn’t have met Beth. If he hadn’t come down a day early, Trev doubted he would have left the ranch for several weeks. At first, living on the ranch seemed perfect. It was almost like a halfway house. There would be eyes on him all the time. He wouldn’t have a chance to fuck up. But now he wouldn’t have a chance to see Beth. He didn’t like that thought. “It’s best if I stay away from your husband, sis. He doesn’t like me, and I don’t want to come between the two of you.”

Trev didn’t have to come between Shelley and Bryce. Leo was doing a damn fine job of that himself. Trev couldn’t miss the heat between his sister and Leo. It was a palpable thing.

Shelley’s face fell. Tears clouded her eyes. “Bryce said something nasty to you. I just knew it. He drove you to drink. The son of a bitch.”

Leo’s arm went around her shoulder. He pulled her close. Shelley leaned into him like it was utterly natural to find comfort in the Dom’s arms. “He’ll come back with me. We can start over if we have to. It’s a little setback. This is nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart. I’ll take care of it.”

Trev rolled his eyes. They had made a big drama out of a little thing. Well, sleeping with Beth had actually been a big thing, but it had nothing to do with his sobriety.

“I didn’t drink.”

Leo looked up over Shelley’s head. “Really? You found yourself in a highly stressful situation and you didn’t drink? Then where exactly did you spend the night?”

Trev wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. He was an adult. He didn’t need to account for his damn whereabouts. Except that he’d earned this treatment. And he knew that Leo wouldn’t accept anything less than honesty.

“I started out at The Rusty Spur.”

Shelley’s hands tightened around Leo. The Dom soothed a palm down her back. It took everything Trev had not to roll his eyes and tell them to get a room. He had to admit, they made an attractive couple. Leo whispered something in her ear that had Shelley nodding and standing up straighter.

“It’s all right, Trevor. We can get you back in rehab.”

He longed for a day when rehab wasn’t mentioned at least twice. “I didn’t go in. I sat out in the parking lot and thought about it, but I didn’t go in, and I didn’t drink anything stronger than a French roast. Now, if you two are done with the much-appreciated intervention, I need to see if Beth has any coffee. Though I doubt the electricity in the kitchen works.”

Shelley’s head came off Leo’s massive chest. “You didn’t drink?”

“Nope.” They might not believe him. “I was perfectly sober. Do you need me to pee in a jar?”

“Well, what did you do all night?” She huffed out the question as though flummoxed by the problem at hand.

Trev smiled, remembering exactly how he’d spent the night. Beth had been a luscious distraction. “Beth.”

Shelley’s mouth dropped open. “You slept with Mouse?”

Trev growled his sister’s way. She threw up her hands as though conceding the point.

“Who is Beth?” Leo asked. “And why is there a deer herd on the floor?”

His mouth tugged up in the one-sided smile he always used when particularly proud of himself. He’d used that smile when he’d won the championship and when he’d signed his pro contract. He used the smile now because this achievement was just as significant in Trev’s new world. “She’s my submissive.”

Shelley gasped. “Did you pull Mouse into that kinky sex stuff?”

“It’s more than just sex, love. Now hush. He’s safe and fine.” Leo dropped his arms and strode forward. He stopped in front of Trev. “You took a sub? Formally?”

He could feel himself flush. To the outside world, what had happened the night before was nothing more than a common hookup. Inside the world that Trev had grown to love, it meant something serious. He’d taken a sub. He hadn’t really begun her training, but he’d made his declaration. He’d taken her virginity. He wasn’t going to pretend it hadn’t happened. “There’s not a lot of formality here in Deer Run, but I claimed her. She understands what it means. Sort of.”

He’d claimed her in the sweetest way possible. He’d been her first man. He’d been the first man to be smart enough to see past that wall she built to protect herself. He’d been the first to see just how sensual and hot she was. He was utterly amazed that he was the first to see how beautiful Bethany Hobbes could be.

“What does ‘sort of’ mean?” Leo asked suspiciously.

“Did you tie her up? Do I need to let her out?” Shelley asked.

Leo stared back at her. Shelley rolled her eyes. God, she would be the brattiest sub if she ever walked into a club. “No one asked your opinion, love.”

“I wasn’t offering an opinion, Leo. I was concerned with Mou…Beth’s circulation. Trev sucked at Boy Scouts. I was always better with knots.”

Leo looked horrified. “You will never be allowed around a rope. And your brother has gotten better at Shibari. I’ve made sure of it. And yes, Shibari is kinky sex stuff.” Leo turned back to Trev. “Sort of?”

“She only knows about it from books.”

Leo groaned. “Not Lexi’s books? Where the Dom always surrenders in the end? I’ve begged Aidan to spank her ass until she writes one of us who isn’t a pussy.”

“I like Lexi’s books,” Shelley admitted.

“They are not a true representation of D/s,” Leo argued.

“They’re a representation of love,” his sister shot back.

“I suppose so.” Leo stared at Shelley for a moment before turning back to Trev. Leo’s face split into a smile. He held his hand out. “I am so glad to hear that you’ve taken a submissive. How did you hide this? No one knew you were seeing anyone.”

Trev swallowed before he answered. “Um, I didn’t meet her at The Club.”