Show Me, Baby:A Masters of the Shadowlands Novella(36)

Rainie never looked away from Bart. "Cory kicked me out of the office.  That was on a Friday. The next night, he showed up at my apartment, and  he was high on drugs. Probably coke. He told me … "

Her gaze met Tilly's, and her voice closed down.

God, she couldn't do this. Not to that sweet woman. Rainie tried to take a step back and bumped into Jake.         

     



 

He put an arm around her waist, anchoring her against his side as he  spoke to Tilly. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to tell you this. Cory told Rainie  that if she didn't give him a blowjob, he'd fire her. He told her he  could do anything he wanted, including fuck the staff."

"No. No," Bart whispered. His eyes turned to Rainie. Appalled. Filled with pain.

"I …  Yes." This was like kicking a helpless puppy. "Cory grabbed me, and Jake punched him."

"You fucking bitch! I never touched you!" Cory jumped to his feet. "And I've never met your asshole boyfriend."

"Want me to break your nose again?" Jake stepped around Rainie. "Sit. Down."

Rainie's knees almost buckled. Cory dropped back onto the bench.

Bart stared at his son's bruises. "You said you'd fallen down." The  color drained from his face, leaving his lined skin gray. He sagged.

As his wife took his hand, she was choking back sobs.

Oh God, what had she done? "I'm sorry, Bart," Rainie managed to whisper.  "I'm so sorry." She hesitated and then fled, pushing her way to the  front door.

"Rainie." Jake followed her out.

In the distance, thunder rumbled, and the palms lining the parking lot bent under the advancing storm.

Rainie turned to face Jake. Another person she'd let down. He'd lost a  dog at the clinic, and he'd needed her-and she'd used him. Ruined his  evening with her own problems. She hadn't helped him at all-because,  once again, her past had returned. Hurting her. Hurting others.

"I'll take you home," Jake said.

"No." She took a step back, distancing herself. "Thank you. Thank you for … for being here. But, I'm not good for you."

"That's not true, Rainie."

"I want to be alone."

His jaw tightened. "I don't-"

She shook her head. "My choice."

As she walked away, she could feel the tie between them stretch and thin  and disappear. The wind whipped at the tears streaming down her face,  leaving only coldness behind.







Jake watched Rainie as she sat at her desk in the clinic. She looked  like hell. Her color was so pale he could see the blue veins at her  temples, the shadows under her eyes. She moved as if even her muscles  hurt.

She'd undoubtedly spent the night suffering for Bart and his wife. Yes, she was the type to take on that guilt.

Fuck, he wanted to hold her.

Instead, he opened the fridge, grabbed a couple of energy drinks, and handed her a can. "You need that. Drink it."

She blinked at him and half smiled. "Your presentation lacks finesse, but thank you."

"You doing all right?"

Her lips drew up into a wry smile. "The fact you fetched me an energy drink means I'm not going to win Miss America today, huh?"

He smiled back. "Pretty bright, aren't you?"

"That's me." She pushed her hair out of her face. "Jake?"

She hadn't braided or coiled her hair today. Not that he'd complain. The  way her hair fluffed over her shoulders made him remember burying his  fingers in it. "Mmm-hmm?"

Looking down, she opened the can. Turned it around in her hands. Finally  said, "Last night, you heard what my old classmates were saying, and I  was surprised at your reaction."

"Because I didn't beat them up for you?"

From her startled expression, she hadn't even considered he might have defended her that way.

Now he rather wished he'd mopped the floor with them. "I don't try to  defend against whispering. Open rudeness, yes. Behind the back is-"

"No, God, no, I didn't want you to …  Sheesh." Her hands closed on the  can, denting it. "No, I simply noticed you weren't embarrassed or-"

"About what assholes are farting about?"

At her appalled stare, he grinned. "Sorry for the crudeness."

"Well. Right." Her fingers loosened. "It's just …  When people don't like  you and you'll never change their opinion, it must be nice to not really  care."

Jake's eyes narrowed. Once again, he was realizing just how much she did care what others thought. "Rainie-"

She straightened. "So, can you fit in a walk-in?"

Totally changing the subject. He glanced at the waiting area, nodded to  the three clients who waited with their pets, and answered, "I finished  the buckshot extraction on the Doberman. So, yes, I should be able to  take another."

The reception door opened and closed. "Jake," a woman called across the room.         

     



 

Jake let out a sigh. The day lacked only this. "Nadia, what are you doing here?"

"Why, I told you last night." She glanced at Rainie, and her lips  twisted into a smirk. "Remember? I said I'd drop by to take you to  lunch."





As the bitch's claws ripped through Rainie's skin and ribs and heart,  she forced her face blank. What Jake did with Nadia was his own  business. After all, he liked the woman. Had left with her after the  wedding. Rainie should wish them well.

Not going to happen.

She checked her blouse in case blood was leaking from the  far-too-accurate heart shot. When Jake didn't say anything, she looked  up.

Eyes narrowed, he regarded Rainie … reading with a Dom's uncanny perception every single emotion she was feeling. Dammit.

"Jake, honey, are you ready to leave?" Nadia asked, her voice thicker than cold molasses.

Ignoring her, Jake touched Rainie's cheek with a gentle finger, holding her gaze trapped for … forever.

Finally, he straightened. "Nadia, last night when you called"-his glance  at Rainie undoubtedly caught the surprise and relief on her face-"I  said I didn't have time for lunch. Or anything else you offered."

"Oh, Jake." Nadia's pout took full advantage of her well-collagened  lips. She gave Rainie a look of disdain. "I certainly hope someone like  her hasn't come between us."

Jake gave a short laugh. "Nadia, there is no us. I dated you years ago,  before you married. I have no interest in seeing you now. At all."

The whispers from the waiting room clients grew audible.

Jake turned his back on Nadia, leaned a hip on the desk, and said to  Rainie, "The lab work on Brennan's rabbit came back, and I need to  change the antibiotics. Can you get the owner on the line?"

"I-of course. Right away, Sir."

His lips quirked at her submissive slip, but he simply opened a folder and flipped through the contents.

The outer door made its distinctive hiss, and Rainie gave a quick glance up.

Color almost purple, head held high, Nadia stalked out.

The elderly man in the waiting room had his hand over his mouth, but his  shoulders were shaking. The woman with the cat carrier winked at  Rainie. The one with the poodle gave her a surreptitious thumbs-up.

Rainie's body hummed with amazement. Jake didn't want the redhead.  Eventually, her fingers managed to bring up Mr. Brennan's file-without  any mental input, thank goodness, since her brain had taken an extended  leave.

Annoyed with herself, she huffed out a breath.

And Jake turned his attention back to her. The power in his gaze made her hands turn clammy. "Problem, Rainie?"

"N-no, Sir." Realizing she'd called him "Sir" again, she flushed.

The sun lines beside his eyes crinkled, and he bent to whisper in her  ear. "Did you know that each time you call me ‘Sir,' you lighten my  day?"

The resonance in his voice shivered through her, and then he disappeared  into the treatment area, leaving her staring after him. God, she wanted  him so badly. Thank goodness, she'd be gone before he sucked her into-

Oh no. What had she done?

The blood drained right out of her head with an almost sucking sound.  She must have moaned, since Rhage came out from under her desk to press  against her legs. As her fingers teased his soft ears, she tried to  swallow past a dry throat.

You stupid, senseless, slow-witted squid.

Master Z had got her. Got her good. She watched her hand reach for the  phone. Punch up the contact. Wait. Don't answer. Don't answer.

"Shadowlands." Master Z's voice couldn't be mistaken for anyone else's.  His power sizzled through all the miles between them, probably making  the telephone wires shake as violently as she was.

"This is Rainie," she said almost in a whisper. Pull it together. She  forced her spine straight … and watched her fingers tremble. "You … won,  Sir. The bet."

"Indeed."

He let her hang for only an eternity or two before he said gently, "You  will come to the Shadowlands on Friday at nine. Tell Ben to notify me  when you arrive."

Total trust. Total submission. With Master Jake. Her gaze instinctively lowered as she whispered, "Yes, Sir."