Use Me [Dungeon Masters 5] (Siren Publishing Menage Everlasting) (6 page)

“Do you think one day you’ll go back to the corporate world?” she asked. He hadn’t actually said corporate. He’d said indoors. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice her tiny slip.

“I suppose to say never it’s a bit like asking fate to bite me on the ass. But it’s not what I want or what I expect will happen.”

“Good answer.” He’d answered from the heart, yet done his best to explain himself.

“And you, Darcy?”

Darcy hadn’t expected Violet to be quite so quick to shift the focus off herself and onto Raff and himself. But that was all right. This night was designed to please her and one night in bed with her wasn’t going to be nearly enough. Already just holding her lightly in the tub was making his dick stand up again and him think naughty thoughts. Some conversation might help him get it back under control again.

“I’ve always loved making things. I made a bookshelf when I was so young, I didn’t even realize the sides needed to be the same length so the books ended up on a slope. But I persevered and hammered away and finished it. Then I put all my books and toys on it anyway.”

“What did your family say when you did that? My father would have had a fit if I’d touched his tools,” said Raff.

“I think my dad felt a bit guilty for not explaining about measuring and suchlike to me. He just handed over some scrap lumber to me when I asked for it and let me be. I don’t think anyone guessed what I planned to do. But I’d decided I wanted a shelf for my things and was I convinced I could make it myself.” Darcy shrugged.

“I like being in charge and making my own decisions, so founding Nelson’s Building and Home Maintenance was the logical next step.”

“Do you see yourself as one day being like grandpop with a number of companies?” Violet asked him.

“Like Raff said, it’s not wise to say never, but I don’t see myself letting the company grow beyond two or three different crews. I like the idea of knowing all my workers personally and thoroughly, and working beside them on the renovations. I already have a virtual assistant to help out with the paperwork, and an accountant who files my taxes and suchlike. I don’t want to end up in an office doing paperwork all day long. I’d much prefer to be on site working with my team. If the company gets too big that can’t happen. Already some days I have to spend a couple hours on paperwork even with a virtual assistant.”

“It’s interesting you mentioned having a virtual assistant. That’s a job I’ve been thinking about doing once my house is ready to live in.”

Darcy shook his head emphatically. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’d be all alone out there on that farm and never see anyone from day to day. It’s much better that you go and work in an office.”

“Don’t you like your current job?” asked Raff.

Violet laughed. “It’s clear you don’t know my family, Darcy. And yes, I do like my current work. But as you said, I’d rather be outdoors at least part of the time during the daylight, not working from dawn to dusk in winter and only free once it’s dark.”

“I know there’s a hell of a lot of Cambrisis and Cambrisi relatives. But didn’t you say your parents passed away a long time ago and you’ve always lived with your grandfather? Won’t he be dreadfully lonely now you’ve moved out?” Darcy asked.

“My father was Grandpop’s only child and I’m an only child. Well, my father died when I was only eighteen months old, so that’s not really surprising. But Grandpop is one of five children and some days it seems like every one of his siblings had a million kids and grandkids. Grandpop’s house is always overflowing with some family or other of the cousins. And don’t forget many of them work for him and he’s always calling them in to ask questions about his companies. I expect he does miss me to some extent, but I see him every weekend at some family member’s house or other. Most of the tribe seem to meet up for brunch at someone’s house on Sundays. And that’s not including the endless stream of engagement parties, weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, and god knows what else.”

It seemed to him she’d hardly stopped to take a breath before she went on again. “And Phoenix and her men live in the property behind my land, don’t forget. I could ride there on Princess in a matter of only a few minutes if I needed help.”

“I still don’t understand why you would want to leave work and be home alone. Why not drop down to four days a week and just have one day a week on the farm with your horses?” Darcy asked. He hoped he didn’t sound grumpy. He didn’t mean to growl, but the thought of her home alone all the time disturbed him. He didn’t like to think of her by herself and unprotected like that, no matter how many parties she went to.

“I can think about that idea,” she said.

And he knew damn well she was going to ignore him.

Pushy woman.

* * * *

For the rest of the week Darcy didn’t see Violet. By the time he arrived at the house, Raff was always there, grooming and feeding the horses, but Violet’s car had already left. Although one day he was almost certain he saw it turning onto the highway when he was still too far away from the intersection to be sure it was her. On Friday he walked out to the field and said to Raff, “Is she still sleeping here each night?”

“I think so. A couple of times she’s waved to me as she left. Once I saw headlights disappearing as I was arriving so likely that was her.”

“We need to plan another date with her.” It wasn’t just his dick speaking. Somehow he even missed her pushy determination to get her own way as much as he missed holding her soft body in his arms.

“Fine by me.”

He stared at Raff. “Just fine?”

“More than fine. I miss her. I want to spend another night with her.”

“That’s better. I want her so bad it’s like walking around with part of me missing.”

“Are you going to book a dungeon this time?”

He’d wondered if Raff had worked out that he was a Dom. It seemed he had. The man was perceptive. “I’d like to. Are you fine with that as well?”

Raff grinned. “I wouldn’t mind spending time with her and that flogger with the dildo handle. I never did get to use it on her properly.”

Darcy laughed. “I’ll make sure there’s one in the toy box. Anything else?”

“No. You’re the Dom, not me. But I want to be there for every moment we spend in the dungeon.”

Darcy nodded. “I understand. She’s the one who asked for us both. I would never go against what she wants. Besides, we get along well together. We understand each other.”

“You mean I’m happy to let you lead. But that’s okay. I’ve done the ‘bossing around organizing everything’ scene and I’ve decided it’s not me. I’m happy for you to take charge here on the job, and in the dungeon.”

“Thank you.” Darcy was sincerely grateful. He could have done a hell of a lot worse than having Raphael as the other man Violet had picked to share herself with. Raff was a good man he could trust. The fact that Raff was prepared to let him lead was just a bonus.

“Over the weekend some time we need to move those old tubs from upstairs to the fields where she wants them as well. You and I should be able to do that alone.”

“I’m happy to help but I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t realize we were saving those old tubs.”

“Oh, sorry. Pushy Ms. Cambrisi said not to put those old bathtubs in the dumpster. She wants to use them as water troughs for the horses in some of the more distant fields. She said come summer the horses can be moved farther away from the house but the fields she has in mind don’t have water troughs so the old tubs would be perfect for that.”

Raff laughed. “I can hear her saying it, but I’m not sure how she thinks we’ll keep them clean or how we get the water there to fill them either.”

Now it was Darcy’s turn to laugh. “Yes, but you’re the cowboy so that’ll be your problem. I just have to deliver them to the correct fields.”

Raff stared at him. “Well, damn.”

They were both laughing as they walked back to the house. Now all Darcy had to do was plan a simple introductory BDSM scene in a dungeon, and get Violet to agree to a date there. He sighed. Likely it wasn’t going to be quite as simple as it sounded.

* * * *

All day long as he held the ends of lumber and tape measures, fetched tools and coffees, sanded woodwork, and swept up trash, Raff was thinking about another date with Violet. He wanted that very much. Actually, what he really wanted was her. Once upon a time he would have been a fitting partner for the beautiful woman with golden-brown hair and big blue eyes. He’d had a good job, plenty of money, and a nice apartment in an upscale neighborhood. Now, not so much.

His truck was almost as old as he was, and certainly unfit to drive a woman around in. His apartment was not much bigger than a shoebox and definitely not in the kind of neighborhood where a woman could walk alone at night. And he lived from paycheck to paycheck, although at least working for Darcy he had enough money to pay his rent and to eat as well. Just nothing much left over to treat a woman nicely. And definitely not enough to go shopping for new clothing, which he really needed if he was to go out on dates.

For the first time he missed his closets full of designer outfits, with the rows of shoes and boots all carefully polished and ready to wear. But all of his possessions, including a couple of rather expensive original oil paintings, would have long since been thrown in the trash and his apartment rented to someone else.

He couldn’t even remember now when the next payment on the apartment would have been due. It was directly deducted from his bank account, an account that was likely closed from lack of activity more than a year ago, if not within months of when he’d walked out on his old life.

Raff wasn’t sorry. Leaving that soul-destroying job was the smartest thing he’d ever done. He’d completely exhausted himself always pleasing everyone—his boss, his coworkers, the clients—working harder and harder to endlessly achieve even more than his previous best efforts. He wouldn’t have gotten his life back on track otherwise, nor would he have met Violet, the woman of his dreams. A woman he wanted to get to know a hell of a lot better. But maybe he ought to have been a little more organized about how he’d left his old life. Like packing some clothes to bring with him or—No. That was stupid. Why drag a suitcase around with him for two years just because he wanted some nicer clothing now? That was crazy thinking.

Bringing some money with him might have been smarter, but he was too burned out to even think of that at the time. He’d simply stood up from his desk, walked out of the building, and never looked back. He’d gone to his apartment, changed into jeans, boots, and a sweater, shut the front door, and walked to the bus station. By the time he’d stopped riding buses he was in Arkansas and ready to begin his new life. A life he had no intention of giving up. But maybe he would check his old bank accounts and see if they had been closed. Even a couple of hundred dollars would be useful right now.

He’d left his company-owned smartphone behind in New York along with everything else, and the cell phone he’d bought when he’d taken his first cowboy job in Arkansas was a really cheap one with a low data allowance, so Raff went to the city library and booked himself half an hour on one of their computers. He wasn’t even sure if he’d remember his old passwords or not. He’d been a fanatic about having a unique password for every different login he used. But as soon as he rested his fingers on the keyboard and typed in his bank’s name, the login popped into his mind. Not that he really thought the account would still be there. After all, it was very nearly two years since he’d accessed it.

But not only was the account still there and active, it had a stunning amount of money in it. Almost holding his breath, Raff scrolled down through this accounts, noting the steady payments into his account. Every month several thousand dollars went into his bank account and the only withdrawals were the expenses on his apartment, which were all directly deducted every quarter. He noted his company platinum credit card had been cancelled. He was actually glad of that because he had no idea where it was. Likely still in his billfold in the pocket of the last suit he’d worn.

Raff clicked on one of the payments into his account, bringing up the details. BJP Games and Gaming, March Royalties.
Fucking hell!
Two thousand seven hundred
dollars in a month for his little game?
He scrolled down half a dozen lines and clicked again. September was three thousand one hundred. Fucking hell! He’d hit the jackpot with the game he’d invented. Thank god he’d insisted on royalties, instead of selling it outright.

He logged out of his bank account and brought up an e-mail on the computer, typing in his old company e-mail address. Once again he didn’t expect it would work, yet it did. He sat and thought for a long time, aware his half hour time limit would be fast running out. Finally he typed a really short email to his former CEO, simply giving his new cell phone number and asking if he might speak with him.

Raff had scarcely even left the library, was still crossing the parking lot, when his cell phone rang.

“So, Raphael, have you finally gotten over your brain fart and are you ready to return to work here where you belong?”

“No, sir, I really like my new job here in Ohio. I hadn’t realized my apartment would still be—”

“I hope you haven’t given away any confidential company business.”

“No, sir. I work in a completely different industry now. Construction.”

“Hmph.”

Raff took a deep breath. It’d been a long time since he’d had to deal with high-powered managers, but surely he could still do it.

“I’m planning a road trip back to New York to clear up a few loose ends. I wondered if my old desk had been cleaned out and everything thrown away, or if there was a box of possessions I needed to collect.”

That wasn’t exactly true but it was close enough and sounded reasonably polite.

“All your things are in a lockbox here in the basement. I thought there might be confidential material among it and didn’t want it left lying around. When are you coming? I’ll have it brought up to my office and we can have coffee together.”