He opened the door and halted, giving her one last chance to stop him, but she didn’t even look up. He stepped out into the hall and headed for the elevator. He’d go to the bar and wait for her like he said he would, and, if she didn’t come find him by the time an hour was up, well, he’d find her and prove he could be what she needed.
The click of the door closing echoed like a gunshot in the room. The look of devastation on Brute’s face when she’d told him she couldn’t have him as her submissive had been almost enough to make her change her mind, but she held strong.
Alone, now it was a different matter. She wrapped her arms around her middle and held tight. The sense of loss was far greater than she’d ever imagined. She’d thought tonight would be the night she finally found someone who would love her, but, as usual, it wasn’t.
She shuffled to the sideboard and flicked on the lamp. Then she grabbed her phone and tapped Maddy’s number. If anyone could help her make sense of all of this, it was her sister-in-law
“Hey, I didn’t expect to hear from you until tomorrow.”
“Yeah, things didn’t really work out.” Lizzie tried to keep her tone upbeat, but it didn’t work.
“What the hell why not?”
Lizzie wasn’t sure. “It was Brute.”
A heavy sigh echoed down the line. “What did he do this time?”
“He asked Madame Eve to let him be my date.” Just saying the words felt like a relief.
“He what?” Maddy very rarely swore, but the colorful language she used was what Lizzie wanted to say herself but couldn’t. “I’m going to kill him. How the fuck did he even know about your 1Night Stand?”
“Apparently, he overheard us talking about it and has wanted to be with me for ages but always thought he had more time.”
There was a long silence before Maddy spoke. “Really, well that is interesting.”
Lizzie held her phone out in front of her, not sure she’d heard correctly. “What do you mean interesting? It’s not interesting, it’s fucking annoying. He ruined my last chance at finding someone special.”
“Well, no. That isn’t true. If I know anything about Madame Eve, it’s that she never gets it wrong. If she sent Brute to you, then she obviously thinks he’s right.”
“But he can’t be. He doesn’t have a submissive bone in his body.” The image of him naked and on his knees flashed into her mind. A frisson of arousal hit her out of nowhere. The same desire she’d felt earlier until she saw his tattoo.
“I can hear those wheels turning,” Maddy joked.
Lizzie didn’t know what to say. Until she’d realized her date was Brute, she’d been excited, horny, and singing Madame Eve’s praises for finding her a fine specimen. If he’d come to her a couple of years ago, it would have been a no brainer. She’d had a crush on Brute since she hit puberty. Overhearing him two years ago tell Garth he only thought of her like a little sister had broken her heart and cured her of whatever interest she had in him. Or so she thought.
“Lizzie. listen, I know having Brute arrive for your date must have been a shock, but I’ve seen how you look at him when you think no one is looking. Can you honestly tell me the idea of having him in your life as your submissive doesn’t even hold the slightest amount of appeal?” It was the same damn question Brute had asked.
Lizzie wanted to tell Maddy she was crazy, but she couldn’t. She may have hidden her feelings for Brute deep down, but they were still there. “No, I can’t.” At the mere thought of having him servicing her, her nipples puckered.
A chuckle echoed down the line. “See, what’s the worst that can happen? You scratch an itch and then go your separate ways.”
Lizzie couldn’t get the image of Brute between her thighs making her come six ways to Sunday out of her mind. Before she could reply, Maddy spoke again. “Go find him and talk things through because if I know Brute, he hasn’t gone very far.”
Lizzie thanked her sister-in-law and hung up. She had a date to track down. And, if she was lucky, a fabulous night of orgasmic fun in her future.
