Bailey: Independence #1 (31 page)

But no one said a thing and even the whispers seemed to have died down. It was four when she ended the final class and headed to the restroom.

Bailey stood before the mirror. Not seeing anything, just absently drying her hands. It was impossible not to think about the man when you’re crazy about him. Even when he was determined to throw her into a spotlight she never really cared for. She didn’t do anything with the tendrils that had broken free. She was used to them curling around her face and rarely noticed them.

“Better do something about that hair.”

Something in the snotty tone had her blinking as she tossed the towels into the bin.

“Excuse me?” Bailey found the reflection of the slender brunette in the mirror. Perfect make-up and a beautiful blouse and skirt with a sweater around her shoulders. Like her make-up, the pale amber hair was perfectly arranged and didn’t seem to move.

“You aren’t his normal type,” she said with a little frown that only seemed to make her prettier.

“I’m sorry. Do I know you? Were you in one of my classes?”

“I was and I have to say, even in a building filled with geeks, you just don’t seem his style. At least not the image I’d become used to seeing on his arm,” she moved quietly behind Bailey, eyes going from the floor back up again.

Bailey felt herself pale and turned toward the door. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“My fiancé is one of the leads for localization. We’ve been to a lot of the functions for the higher levels in the company,” she said with a shrug. “He’s been here a lot longer than I have and tells me you’ve become quite the talk of the building. But I still don’t get why you and not some of the others around here,” she leaned her hip against the counter.

“I’m just cuter, that’s all,” Bailey offered with a cheeky grin. She might not be in high school anymore, but she knew the type that was standing there passing judgment on her. “Gotta go. Nice chatting with you.”

“It’s swept through the place like fire,” she continued, following behind Bailey. “They even have a pool going to see how long you last. He’s never dated anyone in the building before. Don’t you find that unusual? And I know some females who would give half a years’ pay for a try at him,” she laughed softly.

“I bet you were one of those perky, annoying cheerleaders in high school,” Bailey murmured with a sigh.

“I’ve been to all the company functions,” the younger woman repeated, ignoring Bailey’s comment. “I’ve never seen you there. But watching the women try and get his attention…I don’t mind telling you, if I wasn’t engaged…” She stopped as their topic came into view. “So…girl to girl…that’s the secret?”

“Handcuffs,” Bailey said with a chuckle, striding toward Gabriel with just a hint of a swagger, her pack dangling from her fingers and smile a little shaky. “Sorry…got lost in the restroom.”

“And I’m a few minutes early,” he conceded, his lips settling possessively on hers. “A pleasant way to end a work day.”

She knew people were watching as he let his palm settle on the rise of her hip to pull her close to his side as they went through the wide doors to the parking lot. She puzzled at how he liked to touch her and didn’t seem to care who was watching them. She knew she’d hear more and wasn’t sure how she would handle it. Probably fine in the moment and later, she expected it to eat her up inside. But for now, he belonged to her and she intended to take it all and save it up inside her.

She listened to him talking. And she knows she asked questions even as the other woman’s word bounced around and off her self-esteem. How did women keep doing that to one another? And why? Shouldn’t there be some kind of girl bond that made you happy for each other? Did they think she didn’t think the same things they put into words so it wasn’t only in her head but her ears now, too?

“Bailey?” Gabriel knew she was preoccupied. She wasn’t very good at hiding things, especially from him. Add to that the fact that he had Janet telling him how various people were trying to be
casual
as they quizzed her about him and the quiet IT geek. A term that made him bristle but keep silent. He’d grown up with terms like that and worse. Some part of him believed he’d outgrown the bullies.

She looked at him, and that’s when she realized they weren’t on the way home. Thick lashes blinked as if returning from someplace, her eyes trying to peer into the November evening.

“Where are we going?”

“I have some work at the club,” Gabriel frowned as he maneuvered the SUV into one of the slots. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just…I’m sorry. Just off somewhere.”

“I can see I’m going to have to work to keep you focused.”

“I’m not used to sharing crazy things that ping around inside my head,” she said when the engine turned off. “It’s…different…talking with someone like this.”

“Isn’t that what being part of a couple is about?”

“Yes, sir,” she answered, the angst buried for the time being.

“That didn’t sound convincing, pet. I see us as a couple. Not only at the club or in the bedroom, but sharing breakfast or a walk around the beach.”

“A couple,” she repeated the word slowly. It was a nice word and warmed her.

“A couple who are hungry. We can get something to eat inside.” Gabriel kept himself from rounding the vehicle. Instead, he waited for her to jump lightly to the concrete and stride to join him. His little sub wasn’t like the previous women he’d allowed in his life. There was little pretense, nothing fake and she was usually animated and talkative. He thought about his discussion with Dianna. Unless she felt she was protecting him. That thought sent a strange sensation coursing through him when her palm came readily to his extended hand and she smiled at him.

With the exception of his parents and a few friends, he couldn’t recall any female wanting to protect him. Possess him, definitely, but always for their own benefit and generally what he could provide.

“You’re very quiet tonight, pet. I’m used to your openness.”

“You’ve only known me a little over a week.” Bailey couldn’t stop her eyes from taking in the whole street, the people coming along the quiet sidewalk and the cars departing the otherwise industrial area.

“You’re worried about the murders,” he had watched how she took in everything around them as they crossed the street to the club doors. He opened one and followed her into the warmth inside.

“It’s hard to forget,” she answered honestly, shivering and glad he was close. She wanted to climb inside his suit jacket and burrow down. “I forgot my coat.”

“I noticed.” Gabriel did nothing to stop his eyes from taking in the taut, chilled peaks thrusting against her blouse.

“Oh, geeze,” she quickly grabbed the sides of her suit jacket and would have closed them except for the hands that suddenly gripped her wrists and held them firm. Protest and a sharp retort were on her lips until she looked up to find his dark eyes burning into hers. She swallowed hard.

“I think you’ll be losing the suit once we’re inside,” Gabriel told her firmly, gently pushing her hands down. “Until then, don’t deprive me of the view, pet.”

Bailey was silent when he dropped to one knee and removed the collar she’d worn on her ankle. She held her breath as he fastened it around her throat.

“I don’t want misunderstandings with any of the unattached Doms,” he took her hand and nodded at the young girl at the desk. He quickly signed them in and led her through the heavy drapes to the warmer interior. “I think you missed the more social areas the last time you were here.”

“I smell food,” she said without thinking, her nose twitching.

“We have two top notch cooks,” Gabriel said with a chuckle, leading her off to the right and into the large open dining area. Large, heavy wooden tables adorned the floor. Round, square and rectangles accompanied by either chairs or benches. Along the far wall stretched a bar with stools that looked like they were carved from tree trunks.

Bailey kept staring, taking it all in. She had definitely missed a part of the club. This looked like a social club or maybe an old fashioned saloon. With the exception of the clothing, she noted, quickly returning her gaze to the floor. Before she came to the club, if someone had asked her if she had issues with nudity, she’d have laughed and said of course not. But talking about it and seeing…parts…thrust out at you…in a restaurant setting, was a lot different than she imagined.

“So tell me what’s beneath the suit, Bailey.” Gabriel led her to a table marked ‘owner’ and held a chair for her.

Bailey knew she hesitated. And she saw the stern expression flowing into his features with an ease that made her wish for a time machine.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Perhaps I should print the lessons out for you, pet.” Gabriel stopped her from sitting, his head shaking as he pulled his chair out and reclined. Long legs stretched out before him, his arms up and across his chest. “I think I’ll make it easy for you,” he looked to the side and didn’t have to do more than nod at the waitress. “Terry, bring me a bin for clothing, please.”

“Yes, sir,” the woman looked at Bailey with a sorry wince and hurried off.

“A…I…there’s just underwear,” she said quickly, a grimace creased her features at the slow shake of his head and the pursed lips.

“I think we keep the club nice and warm so our subs don’t catch a chill.” He accepted the red bin, setting it on the table without taking his eyes off Bailey. “Bring us a couple burgers, Terry. No onions. Fries and coffee for me and iced water for my sub.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Take off the jacket, Bailey. Fold it and put it into the bin. Then the blouse and skirt. You get to keep the shoes and whatever is beneath the suit.” Gabriel watched her and shook his head. That was when her hands moved to follow his instructions. “You’ve earned a half dozen swats already, pet. Glaring will get you a few more. Maybe I’ll let one of the new Doms warm that cute behind while I work.”

She knew there was some little part of her asking how she managed to get into this situation even as she folded her jacket and placed it into the bin. Her fingers only fumbled a bit on the back of her skirt, but she opened it and then the zipper, letting the skirt fall to the floor.

Alright, so maybe she didn’t quite admit to what was beneath the dark pinstripes. She really enjoyed her sexy undies and certainly did not expect to be striping in a restaurant.

Oh, god, people are watching! The realization struck her at the same time Gabriel leaned forward and lifted the skirt from the floor. She bit the corner of her lower lip as she took it and folded.

“Just underwear,” he repeated slowly, taking in the thigh high stockings with a generously wide strip of white lace in the middle of her thighs. A little higher and just beneath the hem of the remaining blouse, were a pair of white briefs riding high on her hips. “Turn around, pet,” he said quietly, noting her response to his instructions did come a little quicker this time. “Take off the blouse.”

Bailey closed her eyes, too aware of people at other tables watching her with Gabriel. Time, she kept telling herself. Time and she’d get used to being on display with him. She wasn’t so sure she’d ever understand why it made her wet and hot. But here she was, in a place she never, ever thought she’d find herself. She’d always gone out of her way to avoid the public. She let the blouse slip from her shoulders and held her breath while she folded the fabric.

“We need to have a discussion of the word understatement,” Gabriel managed to say as she turned back to face him.

The corset she wore was an almost pristine white, with thin straps that held the lace cups surrounding her breasts in place. It stopped at her waist, showing off her stomach and the small gold ring in her naval. He really liked the freckles that seemed to burst from the top of the corset like pale fireworks. Added to the package was the intricate way she’d woven her hair on Mondays, a few stray tendrils rebelliously curling around her face while the rest was pinned into place at the back of her head.

He removed the bin, placed it on the floor and gestured to the seat.

“Please, sit down and we can continue our discussion,” he laughed at the hint of a challenge that flashed in her eyes before she slid onto the chair with a little yelp. “I suppose the leather might be a tad chilled.”

Bailey sat stiffly, her shoulders back and head up.

Gabriel stood up and he wouldn’t have thought it possible for her to straighten any more, but she did as he moved behind her. He cleared his throat loudly when she started to turn, her body facing front immediately. He studied the thick mass of hair for a few seconds before he began removing small almost invisible pins.

Bailey closed her eyes and felt her hair slowly fall around her shoulders. She didn’t look again until she heard the pins clatter against the plastic of the bin. She met the dark eyes studying her again from his seat as their food was laid out before them.

“Thank you,” she said politely but didn’t move.

“Please, pet, eat your dinner.” Gabriel inhaled and ground his teeth rather than adjust his slacks with her watching.

Bailey wasn’t sure how she managed to keep from squirming while she ate but the seat did warm up and it wasn’t so bad. Except for the whole eating dinner in your underwear thing.