Chapter 21
CORAL
Coral straightened in her chair and tried to find a comfortable position that wouldn’t look like she was having a problem. She glanced around the table and noticed Redd eyeing her curiously. She felt her face heat with a blush and broke eye contact with her.
She was sitting at a table beside Jake, along with Mr. Wolfe and Redd.
Another couple had joined them as well, but Coral couldn’t remember their names at the moment.
A petite blonde and a hulking rocker-type guy.
They seemed nice, but she couldn’t make herself focus on the conversation.
She realized Jake’s intent had been to keep her attention, but his method was leaving her more unfocused than normal. She should have kept her mouth shut.
Before they left the room for dinner, she had started an argument with Jake.
She couldn’t explain what she had been feeling, but she had been in a mood and had lashed out.
She was so relieved that Jake had come back unscathed, especially after she heard about the fight with the wolves, but her relief had morphed into anger that he had been in potential danger.
Too many emotions in one day for a girl who regularly liked to check out of real life.
This man was forcing her to have emotions she wasn’t comfortable with.
She really needed to talk to him, but she had ruined her chance before dinner.
He tried his best to seem outraged with her overreaction, but she saw the amusement dancing in his eyes.
As they were already running late, he decided a creative punishment would be to make her wear nipple clamps the rest of the evening.
So here she sat. Her bottom still ached from the belt, her pussy was sore from their earlier lovemaking, and now her nipples pulsed under her low cut dress.
Jake’s hand found her thigh and gave it a squeeze. He was deep in conversation with Mr. Wolfe, and she didn’t have the slightest clue what they were talking about.
Redd caught her eye again and motioned for Coral to follow her.
“I need to go to the little girl’s room,” she said to Mr. Wolfe. “Coral, come with me.”
“Can I tag along? I don’t know where it is,” the blonde piped up.
Jake and Mr. Wolfe nodded towards them, hardly pausing their conversation, but the blonde’s rocker boyfriend grabbed her, pulling her in and whispering something to her before releasing her.
She smiled down at him as she stood. Coral knew that smile, and she turned away, feeling like she was intruding on a private moment.
Redd grabbed her elbow and steered her towards the dining room’s entrance, the blonde followed closely behind them. “What is up with you tonight?”
“Nothing! Why? Does it seem like something’s up?” Coral asked.
Redd snickered at her response. “Yeah, just a little. You’ve barely said two words all night, and you keep getting that lovey-dovey glazed-over look on your face.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m just tired,” she lied.
“They can be tiring,” the blonde said as she rolled her eyes, and Coral laughed.
“What was your name again?” Coral asked.
“Faye. Faye Godmeyer.” She stuck out her hand to shake. “Cade is Mr. Wolfe’s cousin.”
Coral took her tiny hand in her own, thankful she didn’t have to embarrass herself twice by asking what the rocker guy’s name was. “I’m Coral. Cute shoes.” She nodded in her direction.
“I like your tattoos,” Faye replied.
“Yeah, okay. Now we all know each other and have lots of sisterly love! Back on topic,” Redd smiled at her. “So, you love him, huh?” She was a true friend and could always see past Coral’s lies.
“Do I love him?” Coral said it out loud. As much for herself as Redd. Was that what she was feeling?
“Oh my God! He took your V-card!” Redd shrieked, drawing curious glances from the servers that hustled by.
“Shh! Stop yelling!” Coral tried to calm her friend down as she was bouncing and giggling in front of her.
“Oh no.” Redd’s giggles stopped and her face grew serious. “What does this mean about your deal? Is she going to find you now?”
“I’m not sure, and I don’t know what to do about it yet. Please keep it to yourself for now while I try to figure something out,” Coral pleaded. “Can we meet up later? I might need help from you two.”
“Incoming,” Faye whispered as she took a few steps back.
“I gotta go. I can’t afford to be in any more trouble today.” Redd pulled Coral in for a quick hug before she grabbed Faye’s arm and led her back to the dining room.
Coral tried to shore herself up before she turned around. She waited three full seconds, then slowly turned to meet Jake’s heated gaze.
“What were you girls conspiring about?” Jake narrowed his eyes at her.
She shook her head at him, and he rolled his eyes.
“Can we talk about it later?” She glanced around, seeing there were still people coming and going into the dining room in a steady stream. This was a conversation she’d rather have in private.
“As long as we do talk about it. No keeping things from me,” he warned.
“Of course not.” She gave him her surest smile, but she didn’t think he completely bought it.
She just needed to buy some time. The sea witch would know by now that she was no longer a virgin, and then she would find her—and Jake.
His life was in danger now because of her.
If she could just think it through, maybe she could form a plan and make sure he was safe.
She was lost in thought as Jake led her back to the table. He pulled out his chair and sat first. Coral went to seat herself, but he tugged her into his lap. She felt her face heat and she knew she was blushing from embarrassment. Mr. Wolfe winked at her, and Redd shot her a sympathetic look.
“Jake, I can sit in my own seat,” she whispered into his ear.
“I prefer you sit right here. Something is going on in that head of yours, and I’d much rather have you where I can keep track of you.”
His arm was like a lead weight around her waist and she let out a sigh, resigned to the fact that she’d be spending dessert perched on her handsome man’s lap.
It would definitely put a wrinkle in her plan of trying to get some advice from Redd.
Jake would be able to hear everything she was saying.
She glanced across at Redd, who was currently bouncing in her seat over the prospect of chocolate cake.
She was already asking for seconds before they were served their first piece.
Coral laughed at the carefree little girl Redd felt comfortable becoming when she was with Mr. Wolfe.
She never saw this side of her friend at any other time.
If the day had ended up differently and she hadn’t met Jake, she would have been sitting here, silently stewing over Mr. Wolfe and Redd’s interactions.
She had found herself growing more and more jealous of their relationship, but now that she had Jake, she was able to appreciate what they had.
Not a romantic relationship, but he took care of her and she was comfortable to let go of all of her problems. There was something very sweet and authentic about that.
Now, if Coral could just get out of Jake’s grasp, she could figure out how to save him from their impending doom. She wiggled in his hold and tried to scoot off his lap, but he responded by tightening his grip and shifting her closer to him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked her as he began cutting into the chocolate cake with his fork.
“Nothing,” she said, trying to play it cool. “I just need to talk to Redd. I was going to sit by her so I didn’t bother you and Mr. Wolfe.”
“Whatever you need to say, you can say from here. You’re not bothering us, right?” Jake turned towards Mr. Wolfe, who nodded his agreement as he poured Redd a tall glass of milk from a pitcher.
Redd looked up from her cake inquisitively, and Coral shot Jake a glare. “Never mind, it wasn’t important.”
She picked up her fork and absently mashed the icing off the edge of Jake’s cake, creating a little mountain of icing on the side of the plate as she contemplated her options.
She could wait until Jake fell asleep and then run.
Maybe the sea witch would leave Jake alone if she had to track Coral.
But the blizzard was still ongoing, and she knew she wouldn’t last long if she tried.
Her next option involved trying to recruit Redd to help her fight. But she would probably be reluctant to help. Coral knew she had already been in trouble a few times this week for crossing Mr. Wolfe and she would hate to get her friend in trouble.
She was broken out of her quiet plotting and jumped when Jake’s hand started playing with her over-sensitized nipple. “Jake!” She swatted his hand away.
“Where are you?” he whispered into her ear. “Mr. Wolfe was just trying to talk to you, and you weren’t responding at all.”
Coral glanced up to find Mr. Wolfe, Redd, Faye, and Cade all looking at her expectantly. “Sorry, sorry. What was that?” Coral asked in a rush. “I guess I’m a little distracted tonight.”
“I thought I had taken care of that,” Jake said as his hand grazed her nipple again.
“Stop,” she hissed and pushed his hand away again.
“Now, now Coral, that’s no way to act towards your dom,” Mr. Wolfe chided her. His eyes were lit with mirth and if she didn’t fear the consequences, she would have thrown her water in his face.
Jake expertly grabbed both of her wrists in one hand and dipped the other down the front of her dress.
She froze. All eyes at the table were on her, and she thought for sure she would die of embarrassment.
His hand found the chain connecting her two nipple clamps, and he pulled it up and out of her dress, giving it a firm tug.
She squirmed and mewled as she felt the tug on her nipples and in her wet core almost simultaneously.
“Please, Jake,” she whispered at him frantically.
“It’s rude not to take part in the conversation.” Jake tugged again and she clamped her thighs together as she tried to not openly writhe on his lap.