The young woman continued on like that, and Bunny’s sympathy for Joseph Hazelle double, tripled, and quadrupled as he sat there, his eyes blank. Maybe it was her imagination, or whatever might’ve been causing the confusing feelings she had for him, but he looked tired, too. As if he didn’t care, as long as the bartender took care of him.
That struck her as so wrong somehow. Whoever talked to him should show respect—and talk a whole lot less.
She bit her lip, and with a gentle touch at the bend of his elbow, she averted her eyes and plunged in.
“Master?”
This close, his scent invaded her nostrils. Her nipples reacted to his body heat, and if she moved just a hair closer, she knew she could brush them against his upper arm. He looked down at her, and in her peripheral vision, she saw him double take and nearly grin. Her fingertips were still on his coat sleeve at his elbow, and she pressed her fingers against his arm again.
“Where have you been, fiammetta?”
Heat filled her cheeks at the surge of pleasure his words created, but she kept her eyes down. He’d used that foreign word with her once before, in the darkened stairwell leading to his private suite in his mansion. She didn’t know what it meant, but his tone was clear, and the pleasure in it registered deep in her heart. He must’ve understood what she was trying to do, and not just playing a joke on him. “I’m sorry I took so long in the ladies’ room, Master. I thought I was just overheated, but I’m…I’m not feeling well.”
Rough fingertips stroked her cheek, and the blood surged under her skin, producing even more heat, and Joseph said, “You’re still flushed and seem feverish. You could’ve stayed home, fiammetta.”
His affectionate tone made her want to lean against him as if she really did need him to take care of her. And she wasn’t faking the shuddery sigh that escaped when he put his arm around her. He gathered her hair in his big, capable hands and blew on her shoulder.
She hadn’t thought Doms showed affection in that manner. She liked it, a little, but reminded herself she was doing this as a nice gesture. They had no ties, other than the hot kiss and heady encounter in the private stairwell, and he already had a sub, judging by what she’d seen and heard when they’d been interrupted. She could be nice and help him out, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be his dirty little secret.
Being someone’s doormat wasn’t something she was interested in, either. He was a Dom, and he might play with her, but then she’d be no more than a distant memory. Yes, this was just a nice gesture for…what was he? A friend? No, he was just a business contact. And off-limits. She so didn’t need this drama.
Why are you doing it then?
The girl who had been talking to Joseph finally rattled to a stop. “Who’re you? Are you sick? Why are you in here?” She scrunched up her nose as if she smelled something stinky, and Bunny went so far as to wipe beneath her nose with the bottom of her hand, holding a giggle in check as the girl leaned back and added, “I hope you’re not contagious because ew!”
Trying to cover her trembling laughter, Bunny turned toward Joseph, and he responded by putting protective arms around her. She heard him clear his throat, and the rumble she felt in his chest could’ve been laughter, or it might’ve been a vibration from the music. Whatever, she thought, enjoying the moment a little too much. She wrapped a hand around his arm but then remembered maybe she wasn’t supposed to touch him without permission and settled for just cuddling into his chest as if she was his precious little subbie-whatever.
He patted her back comfortingly and spoke to the other woman. “I apologize for cutting our conversation short. My companion is obviously unwell. Would you excuse us?”
“Uh, sure. I didn’t realize you were waiting on anyone,” the young woman said, her nose still scrunched up, and she eyed Bunny as if she had the plague. “She’s your…companion? What’s that?”
Joseph stilled, and Bunny couldn’t see his face but felt the pause build before he said, “My submissive.”
The young woman’s eyes went wide, and then her jaw popped open. “Oh. Okay, sure…Sir.”
Evidently she’d read the same romance book Bunny had.
* * * *
Joseph looked down at his little fiery-haired savior, tempted to laugh at her subterfuge, but mostly he just wanted to hold her against him without any bristling or arguing on her part.
Bunny Carrigan didn’t “do submission,” according to her conversation with his best friend’s submissive, Mona, but she did do an amazing impersonation as she blinked her dark lashes and kept her eyes downcast.