Embracing the Fall (4 page)

Zoe wasn’t daunted. “How about if you just meet her? What if you came to her place
tonight? She runs this great tavern, fantastic food, good music and a really warm
atmosphere. It would be a perfect place for you two to meet, because since it’s on
her turf so to speak, she won’t feel as vulnerable. Then, after you get to know each
other and she sees how great you are, you can tell her you’re a Dom and everything
will be perfect.” Zoe was so taken with the idea that she slapped her hands together
and started to get up as though to leave.

“Whoa there, Zo.” Evan chuckled and placed a restraining hand on her shoulder to keep
her in her seat. “If you think that settles things, you got another think coming.”

“Please, Evan. Please?” Her big blue eyes welled with tears and he felt his resolve
crumble under the impact.

“Dammit.” He ran a frustrated hand over his scalp. “I tell you what. I’ll go to her
place and meet her. But only if she knows I am coming, and she knows I’m a Dom. Understood?”
Her quick nod wasn’t convincing so he added, “I mean it. I refuse to ambush this girl,
Zo. Besides, if this were to turn into something and she found out it started under
false pretenses, it would demolish any chance we had at establishing trust between
us. You know that.”

“I know.” Her sigh was full of defeat and frustration. “It’s just so terrible to see
her suffering.”

“Suffering?”

She looked up in panic. “Oh, well, you know. Because she’s a sub, but she’s scared
to leave the nest, you know?” Evan could tell she was backpedaling, but he let that
go. She had told him more than once there was more to tell but that she was not at
liberty to discuss it. He was intrigued and wanted to question her, but he knew that
would be unfair, so he stood and helped her to her feet. “Text me the address and
the time she’ll be expecting me. I’ll meet her, but I’m not making any guarantees.
You’ve heard the old adage ‘you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink’?
Well, you can lead a sub to a whipping bench but you can’t make them bend over it.
She’s going to have to make that choice all by her lonesome and there’s nothing you
or I can do about that.”

“Of course.” Zoe leaned in and hugged him tight for a second. “I didn’t even think
about the way it could have come across as a broken trust until you pointed it out.
She’ll know who and what you are before you even step foot in there, I promise.”

“He’s not stepping foot in my place, Zoe!” Cami was horrified and not to mention mortified.
“I can’t believe you went to some stranger and told him I wanted him to come beat
on me.”

“Honey, you’re overreacting a little, don’t you think?” Ziporah rubbed soothingly
on Cami’s arm. “Zoe told you she didn’t give your name or any details about you specifically.
She is only trying to help.”

“I know.” Cami tried to pull the panic back in and think things through rationally.
“You’re right. I’m sorry I snapped at you, I just don’t think I’m ready to take that
step yet.”

Cami heard both Zoe and Ziporah sigh over that and she cringed when Ziporah said,
“Yes you are. It’s time, Cam. It’s time.”

“Cam,” Zoe said in a soft and gentle voice. “I’ve scened with Evan. He is the one
and only Dom that Gage ever let touch me, so that says something, doesn’t it?” Cami
shrugged a little and Zoe went on. “He’s freaking gorgeous, too, if that helps. Almost
as tall as Gage, really great body, these amazing green eyes that just laser beam
you and he’s bald. Not bald in a creepy comb-over way. Bald in a– used to be a swimmer
who was dedicated and fierce, oh my God he’s freaking beautiful–way.” Zoe tried a
smile on her, but Cami was still reeling and wouldn’t be charmed. When Ziporah laid
her head on Cami’s shoulder from behind, Cami reached back and cupped her hand on
top of the other woman’s silky hair. “I am just so scared of doing this alone. And
of doing it at a club with a bunch of people watching, too. Why am I such a basket
case? And how in the world is it possible for me to want something so much when it
scares me this bad? This feels just like it did when you took me on my first roller
coaster, Z. Remember how terrified I was?” When Z smiled and nodded, Cami added, “And
then remember how you couldn’t get me off the thing after you finally got me to try
it? But, this is different, this is the biggest roller coaster in creation and I feel
like I have to ride it all alone with no safety harness.” She huffed in disgust at
what she saw as her own shortcomings. “If only you were a sub, too. Then I wouldn’t
have to do this alone. We could do it together.”

Ziporah stiffened and slowly straightened up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.
I’m being a baby.”

“No. That’s it.” Ziporah looked as if she’d just been slapped, so Cami was unprepared
for what she said next. “That’s perfect. Why didn’t we think of this before?”

“Wait a minute,” Zoe said in a baffled voice, “you lost me.”

“Me too,” Cami said with a frown, puckering her brow.

“I’ll do it with you!” Zoe’s mouth popped shut and Cami could see her fighting to
be polite. But this was her best friend and polite didn’t factor for them, so Cami
just burst out laughing right in her face.

“Hey!” Zip shoved her, but she did it with a good-natured chuckle. “Cut it out. Why
not? I can be a sub with you.”

“Zip, darlin’, there isn’t a submissive bone in your body,” Cami told her, still laughing
at the idea. “Especially with men. You chew them up and spit them out like sunflower
seeds.”

“I do not!”
Affronted.

“Morgan Fisher.”
Triumphant
.

“He was a chauvinist.”
Disdainful
.

“Allen Brickman.”
Smug
.

“Spineless.”
Contemptuous
.

“Cary Griffin.”
Challenging
.

“Fine.” Ziporah threw her hands up in a huff and stomped to the coat tree in the entry
way and, as she yanked on her black designer pea coat, she glared at Cami. “I can’t
believe you brought up Cary.”

“I had to make you admit it. You could never be a sub. If anything, you’d be a Domme.”
Cami walked over and fussed with her friend’s collar while she did up her buttons.
“And, as much as I love you, Zip, I don’t swing that way, so if you ever tried to
whip me, all it would make me do is laugh.” She softened the blow with a kiss to her
friend’s cheek.

“I know.” Zip wasn’t really mad; Cami could tell. “But, hear me out. It’s just some
kinky sex, right? Why can’t I play with you for the first little while? It’ll be exciting
and crazy.” She winked and Cami could tell the idea was really growing on her. “It’ll
be an adventure I can look back on someday. Something to tell all the other little
old
bubbes
in the rest home to make ‘em jealous when I’m in my eighties and sex is just a fond
memory. Let me at least try. You never know, I might like it as much as you.”

“What’s a
bubbe
?” Zoe looked completely baffled.

“That’s the Yiddish word for grandma,” Cami answered Zoe with a small smile then looked
to Z. Cami was absurdly touched. “You would really do this for me, Zip?”

Ziporah cupped both of Cami’s cheeks in her palms and said, “You’re my best friend.
I would do anything for you.”

Cami wavered. On the one hand, she knew that if Z were there doing this with her she
wouldn’t be so afraid to try. On the other … “Z, BDSM is all about trust and honesty.
You can’t fake your way through this. It would be wrong. As much as I would love to
have you there by my side, I can’t let you do it.”

“Oh, Cam.” Ziporah rolled her eyes. “Give yourself a little break here and stop taking
this all so damn seriously. I won’t be faking, I’ll be experimenting. I’ve been right
here with you all along as you’ve dug into this lifestyle. Almost two whole years
of books and websites and even that crazy seminar we schlepped our asses to.

“It sounds like a freakin’ kick in the pants. This is a win-win situation for both
of us. I’ll get to try it out and let my freak-flag fly for a bit and you my dear,
sweet, submissive friend, will get to ease into sexual awakening with your best friend
there to hold your hand. Now, tell me, where is the wrong in that?”

Cami could find none, so she caved with a squeal and flung herself against Z in a
bear hug. “Thank you! Oh-my-lanta this is going to be so crazy. I love you so much.”

“I love you back. Now let me go, I have to stop by the precinct before I hit court,
and if I hurry I can catch my idiot cousin before he breaks for lunch.”

“Is that why you’re running off right now? Z, he said he’d be there till one o’clock,
you got another hour before you have to leave.”

“Exactly,” Z said with a smirk. “I gotta get there before he skips out early. Heck,
it’s what I’d do to him.”

“You are the stupidest man in existence. How in the world did you make detective?
Did you sleep with the captain?” Ziporah inquired this of her cousin in a singsong
voice, with a sugary smile on her face and her head tilted as though she were speaking
to a toddler or a particularly oblivious puppy. She knew it would nettle him and make
him wish they were still kids, so he could take a swing at her like he used to. It
galled him that they were now too old to wrestle, and if she were honest, she had
to admit that she missed it, too. Fighting with Brandon was just about the most fun
she ever had, as a kid and as an adult.

“Zippy, my girl,” he said, purposely using the nickname that drove her nuts. “Of course
I slept my way to the top; you taught me everything I know about taking it up the
ass.”

It took all she had to keep from busting out a smile at that. Good one, she thought,
but would die a fiery death before she would let him know.

“Ha-ha,” she managed to say, without letting her true mirth show. “If you could just
take your head out of yours and give me that file I requested, I can get to work trying
to sew up all the holes you left in this case and send the bad guy to jail.” She smiled
in her best imitation of a great white shark just to needle him until he fished it
out with some choice grumbling. Once she tucked it safely into her briefcase, she
lost the snark and looked at him seriously. “Hey, can I ask a favor? I was hoping
you could make it to Haven tonight for Cami and me. And please, bring Angie. What
she sees in you I’ll never understand, but her presence makes yours bearable.”

“Yeah, sure, even though you’re going to be there. But, I guess putting up with you
is the price I’ll have to pay for hanging with Cami. Shame.” He shook his head as
though deeply saddened and Z had to again fight back a smile. He was on top of his
game today. It was just like him to agree right off the bat, no questions asked.

“Good,” she said as she gathered up her stuff so she could head out. “I think Brice
and Terryn are going to be there already, but could you ask if Cade and Trevor will
bring Riley?”

“Z,” Brandon said, his voice suddenly solemn, “okay, you bet. But, should I be worried?”
With a smile, she shook her head no. “We’ll be there. I’ll bring everyone I can. You
guys got nothing to worry about.”

The affection between them ran bone deep, and though in most cases they would rather
choke than admit it–when it mattered, when it really and truly counted, they were
there for each other.

“You know, sometimes, like now, I’m glad your mother didn’t drown you in a river.
I’m sure that will pass the next time you open your mouth, but for now, I am glad.”
The wink and grin he flashed her were more like his usual cocky self and she gave
him her own grin in return before she turned and walked toward the door.

She was brought up short at the elevator when the doors slid open and two extremely
handsome men walked out. One she knew.

Gage Hollister was a big Greek god of a man, with blond hair that was to die for and
a body that made women weak in the knees. Although she liked him, she didn’t know
him well. She loved his wife Zoe though, and since he made her deliriously happy,
Z was inclined to think the best of the big man. He was a close friend of her cousin’s
and she bumped into him at events like birthdays or similar gatherings, so she was
slowly getting to know more and more of him. And each new thing she learned only endeared
her to him more.