Chapter 1 #2
She watched his easy stride as he moved across the lobby toward the front doors.
The man was pure heaven in a muscle-packed body and blue jeans that fit him a little too well that made her tremble with need every time she saw him, and today was no different.
She shook her head at her lustful musings.
He’s way too young for you.
But that wouldn’t matter if she simply spent a few evenings with him in the Ranch’s Dungeon.
It was about time she worked through her issues around kink, and her therapist at the Ranch, Catherine Denton, had been encouraging her to get back into the Dungeon once she found someone she’d be comfortable with. And she already knew Brody—sort of.
“Claudia, hey!” her friend Luna called out as she approached the desk. She tucked a strand of her mermaid-colored hair behind her ear. “Thank you so much for covering the front desk while I was away.”
“Ah, you’re here early. How was your trip with Drake?”
“It was great, but too short. It did make us realize we need to get away together more often, and we have our next trip already planned, so I really appreciate you taking over for me.”
“I’m glad you had some good alone time together. And it was only four days. It’s no problem.”
“Yes, but two of them were supposed to be your days off, so I really, really appreciate it. And Master Derek says you’re to take at least four days of PTO, if not more, for covering for everyone who asks for time off.”
“Mmm, we’ll see. You know I’m not good about taking time off. Although…” Her mind drifted to thoughts of Brody, of spending a few days in the Dungeon with him. In bed with him, too, maybe. A tremor ran up her spine, and she went warm all over.
“Claudia? Hellllllo?”
“What? Oh, désolée. Sorry. I was just—”
“Focusing on the gorgeous ex-football star who just arrived? Sadie said you two are friends.”
“Brody? Yes, well, sort of. His cousin is my friend Micah. We met a few times in Dallas, and then he stayed there with Micah and Arrow the summer before I came here, so we’ve spent some time together. How do you know who he is, anyway?”
“My Dom is a huge football fan. Quarterback for the Denver Broncos? Of course we know who he is. Such a shame that his career was cut short.”
“Yes, it is a shame. He was a good player, from what I’ve heard. Knee surgeries, I think,” Claudia answered. “He told me about it the last time we saw each other. Micah and Arrow had cookouts at their place all summer. That last visit we talked for a while…”
Luna grinned and leaned over the desk to whisper, “You like him.”
“Well, yes, of course. He’s Micah’s cousin, and he’s a really good guy. A good Dom. But you can stop grinning at me like that. He’s practically a baby, Luna. He’s got to be, what? Thirty-five at the most?”
“And?”
“And I’m forty-two. He probably thinks of me as some vieille fille. An old spinster.”
“It definitely sounds better in French,” Luna said with a nod. “But you’re hardly a spinster. And forty-two is not old.”
“Still… he’s far too young for me.”
“I saw the way he looked at you,” Luna said with a grin and a raised eyebrow, “and he definitely does not think you’re too old. He’s hot for you.”
“You think so?” she asked, unable to keep the edge of hope out of her voice.
Sadie slipped behind the desk and looped an arm around Claudia’s shoulder. “Oh, yes, he is. I saw it, too. Want me to arrange for you two to run into each other?”
“No! Sadie…”
“C’mon. You know I’m great at this kinda thing.”
Claudia sighed. “A little too good. And no, thank you. I can handle this on my own.”
“Oh, so you want to handle him,” Sadie teased.
Claudia shrugged. It would do no good to get too far ahead of herself. “We’ll see. Anyway, I have a ton of work to do.”
“No, you don’t. Because Master Derek will be sure you take your PTO. So there,” Sadie declared, her arms crossed over her chest and a huge grin on her face.
Claudia rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll take my PTO days. But no trying to set me up with Brody.”
Sadie’s grin widened, and Luna giggled.
“Girls! Please. I do not need that kind of humiliation. If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen organically.”
“Aw, we’re just teasing you,” Luna was quick to assure her.
“We just wanna see you happy,” Sadie said.
“I know,” Claudia replied, laying a hand on each of their arms. “I appreciate that. I do. But please don’t start with your shenanigans.”
“Shenanigans?” Sadie said, a faux pout on her lips. “Us?”
“Yes, you. You two are the worst!”
“You mean the best,” Sadie protested with a mischievous grin.
“And he’s hot. Don’t forget that part,” Luna insisted. “But don’t worry. We promise to just observe from afar, don’t we, Sadie?” When Sadie didn’t answer, Luna poked her shoulder. “Don’t we?”
“Oh! Of course! Consent and everything.”
“Why am I still suspicious?” Claudia asked.
“I swear you have nothing to worry about,” Luna said.
“We’ll behave,” Sadie agreed, pouting again.
Claudia shook her head, then smiled and hugged her friends one at a time.
Despite their love for mischief, these were some of the best people she knew, and she appreciated the friendship they’d offered since her arrival at Rawhide Ranch a year and a half earlier.
She was glad she’d have her friends to distract her while Brody was there for the next six weeks.
Six. Whole. Weeks. A month and a half, with Brody Hale living at the Ranch.
In the apartment next door to hers. He was going to be incredibly distracting.
But maybe she could manage to distract him a bit, too.
She swore she felt some attraction from him, and hopefully it wasn’t wishful thinking on her part.
She’d just have to be sure her boundaries were firmly in place, because while she’d love for Brody Hale to get his hands on her, she sure as hell wasn’t asking for anything more. That idea was totally absurd.
Wasn’t it?