Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Claudia paced her apartment as she waited for Reese to arrive, then finally went to stand by the big picture window that looked out at the mountains.
Snow capped the tall peaks, and the mountain was dotted with sturdy pine trees, still green even though it was almost February.
She tried to force herself to focus on the beauty of the scenery instead of the anxiety gnawing at her.
“Just need to calm down,” she said aloud to the empty room, then pulled in a long, deep breath and held it a moment before letting it out on a slow exhale. But her heart continued to pound like a hammer in her chest.
She jumped at the knock on her door, then had to laugh at herself.
“C’est ridicule,” she murmured to herself in French as she went to open the door. “Stop being ridiculous!”
“Claudia, are you okay? What’s the emergency?” Reese asked before stepping inside and using one of her pink boots to nudge the door shut behind her.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. It’s not quite an emergency. Well, not really.”
“Uh, that was a little confusing,” her friend said, taking her hand. “Let’s go sit down and you can tell me all about it.”
Claudia let Reese lead her to the small sofa, and she sat, Reese settling in next to her.
“Okay, tell me what’s going on, Claud. You’re flushed. Is something wrong?”
“I’m alright. I am. I’m just… thinking too much.”
“Hmm. Let me guess what about. Or who, should I say?”
“Your eyes don’t need to twinkle like that,” Claudia accused.
“Oh, really? Because I’d say you have a mad, mad crush, and I know who you’re crushing on. And if that’s the problem, let me just say you have my blessing, which I think you already know.”
Claudia sighed. “The crush is not the problem. I mean, look at him. And I swear he’s attracted to me. Or, he is for now.”
“What do you mean ‘for now’?”
Claudia shrugged. “I like him. I do. I’ve always known that. And once I got past the initial shock of my divorce, I realized I was insanely attracted to him, especially after the summer he spent in Dallas, when we saw each other a lot. But that’s all it is. That’s all it can be.”
“Okayyyy,” Reese answered, drawing the last syllable out. “I don’t really understand what the problem is. Are you saying you feel like he’s rejecting you, or something?”
“No. Non. Quite the opposite.”
Reese let out a sigh. “I’m just getting more and more confused.”
“The issue is, I am far too old for him, I’m just going to continue getting older, and we both need to be aware of that fact.”
“I don’t think that’s an accurate assessment, Claud. He’s a whole man. A Dominant man. A big, strong man who could pick you up and toss you around in the best way possible.”
Claudia pushed her hair away from her face and sighed. “I know. But he’s still too young for this to be anything other than getting myself back into kink with someone I feel safe with.”
“And someone you said yourself you’re crushing on,” Reese added.
“Yes. But he’s an ex-football star who could have any woman he wants, and while we’ve already spoken about going to the Dungeon together, I need to be sure we both know it’s not going to be anything more than that.”
Reese let out a squeal. “Claud! Ohmygawd, why didn’t you lead with that?” She paused to take a deep breath. “Okay, okay, I’m calm. Uh… what, now?”
“I cannot let myself like him too much. Nothing can come of this other than what promises to be a very good kink scene or two.”
“And maybe some kissing!” Reese announced with a vigorous nod of her head.
Claudia had to grin. “Well, I hope so.”
“Okay, then. Do you need help setting it up? Because I can ask Arlo to talk to him.”
“What? No, no, of course not. We’ve already started that dialogue. He’s being a bit tentative with me for now, but I think that’s his way of being respectful and protective.”
“Ohh, I love a protective man,” Reese said, a dreamy look on her face.
“You’re swooning over him more than I am,” Claudia said with a laugh.
“No, not him, necessarily. Just the idea of a guy who wants to take care of you, you know? And you totally deserve that, Claud.”
“We’re talking about doing some BDSM play together, not a lifelong relationship. This is never going to be anything like what you and Arlo have.”
“I don’t know. I feel like what’s happening here is the universe sort of making the puzzle pieces fall into place. And you never know what the kinky stuff could lead to.”
“Well, to be honest, I’m hoping it leads to my bed, if all of this loose skin from my thyroid recovery doesn’t scare him off. I’m not expecting anything more.”
Reese grinned. “That’s a great place to start. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, that skin you think about way too much? Barely noticeable—and you’ve had me look closely.”
“I know, I know. Dr. Denton has told me it’s more body dysmorphia than anything else, but it’s hard for me to ignore. Maybe this Dungeon date will be good for me. Maybe it’ll help.”
“I hope it does. Sceneing with a smokin’ hot guy who’s practically drooling over you has to help, right? So, when is your first Dungeon date?”
“I don’t know yet. He asked me to take some time to think about it. I really don’t need to think about it, but again, I suppose he’s simply being respectful.”
“Let me know if he needs a li’l push in the right direction. Not that I don’t have all the confidence in the world that you can handle it, but you know, that’s what friends are for.”
“Thanks, Reesie. You’re the sweetest.”
“Tell my Daddy that the next time he’s putting me over his knee?”
Claudia laughed. “I will do no such thing. Besides, you love being put over his knee.”
Reese scrunched her nose up, giggling. “Yep, I sure do! Now we just have to get you over Mr. Brody’s knee.”
“I feel pretty certain we’ll end up there at some point. I just need him to hurry.”
Brody had just finished his meeting and facilities tour with Derek when his cell phone vibrated. He pulled it from the pocket of his jeans and saw he had a text.
Claudia:
Hi, Brody, can we talk? I thought all last night about the conversation we had yesterday, and I feel ready to discuss it, if that’s alright with you?
Hell, it was more than alright. His pulse went hot in his veins and spread throughout his body.
What this woman could do to him with just a two-line text was unprecedented.
He found an empty couch in the big lobby area so he could sit quietly and compose himself.
Claudia had turned him into a fucking teenager, and he didn’t like it one damn bit.
Control.
That was his credo for everything he did, especially in the kink realm.
And he could sense the damage she’d sustained beneath the bravado.
Of course, some of it he’d witnessed himself, seeing her with her asshole ex.
And she’d told him a bit more that night at the firepit.
He needed to be careful with her, and that meant keeping his shit together, which was something she challenged head-on in a way no one ever had.
Brody:
Yeah, of course. Do you want to meet after your shift today?
Claudia:
Yes, that sounds good.
Brody:
How about we meet down at the barn? I’m sure we can find a quiet corner where we can talk.
Claudia:
The barn is perfect. I’m done with work at five.
Brody:
Great! I’ll meet you there at five-thirty.
He’d need to get his head on straight before he saw her.
He decided to take one of the horses out for a ride up the mountain—being out in nature and working with animals always helped him feel more grounded.
But he couldn’t lie to himself about how badly he’d need that grounding.
It had been less than twenty-four hours in the same place as Claudia and he was already spun hard.
He did a two-hour trail ride on Magic, a huge black gelding with just enough spirit to make the ride fun.
The gorgeous scenery and the rhythm of the horse’s feet hitting the dirt beneath him did a lot to soothe his soul, but by the time he’d gone back to his apartment to shower and change he was practically aching to see her.
In fact, his cock was hard and aching as he stood under the hot water, and he had to force himself to keep his hands busy with soap and washcloth rather than getting himself off to the images of her running through his head.
He was actually afraid if he let the control go even that much, he’d be done for.
At exactly five-thirty Brody walked back into the barn. He paused to pet Alfie as he walked past his stall, then he found a nice bale of hay covered with a blanket to sit on. He’d just gotten settled when Claudia came in.
“Claudia? Over here,” he called out, waving her over.
She smiled as she approached, and he had a few moments to appreciate that gentle sway of her hips as she walked toward him.
He got to his feet and gestured for her to sit before resettling himself beside her. “Glad you’re here,” he told her. “And really glad you texted me.”
“Are you?” she asked, a little breathlessness in her tone.
Was it nerves? Excitement? He didn’t know yet. He didn’t mind her being a bit nervous, as long as it was nervous anticipation.
“Yeah, of course I am,” he answered, and as her brown gaze met his, it felt as if sparks were flickering in the air between them like fireflies—that delicate, that magical.
Or maybe it was the amber glints in her irises catching the light overhead.
“So, you wanted to talk more about what we discussed yesterday?”
“Yes, I do. I know you wanted me to think about it, but I already knew yesterday that I wanted to go to the Dungeon with you. And I hope you don’t think that’s too forward, but I’ve learned fairly recently that if I want something out of life, I have to be willing to take the first step.”