AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Seventeen
At first glance,The Boutiquelooked like every other women’s clothing store Essex had ever entered. Racks of clothing lined the walls with carousels scattered around the open space between. The first clue you’d entered a unique place was the mannequins. You certainly wouldn’t find their clothing in the local mall.
“Holy hat racks. I had no idea stores like this existed until I met Tobi, and even then, I’m surprised to learn they’ve been right under my nose. Damn, I’ve really been missing out.” Miami’s wide eyes scanned the room in anticipation as she bounced on the balls of her feet. “I don’t have my purse, but I promise to pay you back.”
When she started forward, Essex wrapped his hand around her upper arm, smiling when his fingers overlapped. Damn, she was a tiny little thing. He and Giles needed to judge her by her actual size rather than the scope of her personality.
“That’s not how it works, baby. Giles and I are buying, and we’ll also be making the choices.” He kissed her forehead and winked. “Lucky me, he’s currently trying his best to behave long enough to escape from kiddy medical prison. CeCe isn’t going to make it easy for him. She has a real mean streak when she gets a Dom under her thumb.” Several members of the Prairie Winds team shared their tales of woe over the past couple of days. The stories would have been amusing if he hadn’t known they were true.
“Can we discuss it later? Right now, I’m dying to see what treasures I can find. I’ve always wanted to buy hot clothes and sneak into a club. The only door into the BDSM club in Belize was in an alley. The area is so gross you’d need a Haz-Mat suit to even find the damned thing.”
The corners of Essex’s lips lifted fractionally as he shook his head.
“We’re going to have a long conversation about how you know that baby. I’ll probably regret asking, but I’ll enjoy the spanking you’ll get in the end.” It was an understatement of mammoth proportions, but Essex didn’t plan on sharing that tidbit. He’d learned the more brilliant the submissive, the more valuable it was to keep them guessing. Staying ahead of Miami wouldn’t be easy—thank heavens, he wouldn’t be tackling the task alone. “Go,” Essex said, nodding his head toward the sales associate bearing down on them. “I’d bet my last nickel Tobi already called ahead, and there’s a rack of clothing waiting for you.”
A few minutes later, he was standing to the side, watching Miami’s eyes widen with interest and then dim with disappointment when she looked at the price tags. Waving the clerk over, he told her which outfits he wanted and declined the woman’s offer of stilettos. He and Giles intended to keep their tiny sub barefoot as much as possible. First, as a scuba guide and instructor, she spent most of her time without shoes, so heels would be little more than a distraction. Second, they enjoyed a unique position of power when they took advantage of their height discrepancies.
One swipe of his card was all it took to throw a gallon of fuel onto his fantasies. He’d seen the pieces she’d been drawn to and could hardly wait to see her model them. He loaded the boxes and bags into the car before they made their way to the men’s clothing store to pick up his order. Giles wouldn’t be a cooperative patient—hell, he’d never met a SEAL who was—but he was smart enough to obey medical advice, at least to a point. It was doubtful Giles would practice his Shibari skills for several weeks, but there were still plenty of other possibilities.
They’d just finished setting their purchases on the dining room table when his phone rang. Looking at the screen, he held it up for Miami to see Giles’s face on the screen.
“He looks unhappy. Are you sure you want to answer it?”
“Tempting, but the three of us will never ignore a call from one another. If you join the Prairie Winds team, that rule applies to any and all team members, as well.” Answering the call, Essex wasn’t surprised when his longtime friend skipped the formalities.
“Where the hell are you? I’m all signed out and sitting by the front door of this kiddie medical prison. I told CeCe you were on your way. If the gorilla they have prowling the halls reports me, she’s going to take me back upstairs, and I’ll be stuck watching a clown make balloon animals. I’m telling you, if she lets them paint my face, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, Giles. Calm the hell down. We’re at Prairie Winds and headed your way.” Luckily, the medical complex was only about a mile from the Wests’ property. By the time Giles had paused long enough to take a breath, they’d made their way downstairs and back to the car. Essex roared down the driveway. He’d nearly been on two wheels as he turned onto the highway and was moving quickly toward a land-speed record when he noticed Miami’s death grip on the door handle. Slowing down, he wrapped his hand around her wrist, tugging gently until she released the handle.
“Sorry, baby. Old habits die hard. I haven’t gotten to blow off any driving steam in a while. Nothing clears your head like getting behind the wheel and driving like you’re sixteen.”
She looked at him, eyes wide in utter disbelief.
“I’ll have to take your word for it. I didn’t learn to drive until I went to Belize. I bought a scooter, and they made me get a license. Can you believe it? For a scooter!”
He turned into the medical center’s wide driveway and wondered if she’d ever driven a car, but this wasn’t the time to ask. Hell, her fingers were just now turning pink again. Dealing with Giles was going to be enough of a challenge. She didn’t need him questioning her about driving. She’d have to answer the question soon enough. A valid driver’s license was a condition of employment at Prairie Winds.
I’m fairly certain they’ll also expect her to know how to drive something other than a scooter.
*
Giles grimaced ashe settled into the backseat. It would be obvious to anyone they met that he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt if he was in the front, and there was no way he was pulling anything over his shoulder and collarbone. Fucking hell. He’d been injured far worse, but he couldn’t remember anything hurting this bad.
“Giles, for goodness sake, this paperwork says you haven’t taken any pain medication since this morning. What on earth? Your body won’t heal if it’s burning up all its energy fighting pain.” Before he could reply, Miami was shaking pills into her palm and handing him a bottle of water. “Take this right now. Geez, Louise. Men. I swear my dad was the same way. Playing the macho card won’t make you feel better.”
Seeing Essex’s face in the mirror, Giles wanted to reach up and whack the back of his friend’s head. He hadn’t taken the pills earlier because he wasn’t about to give CeCe an excuse to keep him. Giles didn’t have a high tolerance for painkillers. He was anxious to get back to Prairie Winds and settle into a comfortable chair to watch Miami show off her new clothes. As long as he didn’t have to walk far, he could probably hide the drug’s effects. It only took them a few minutes to make their way upstairs, but Giles was already feeling lightheaded.
“Okay, we’ll get you a small snack so the medicine doesn’t eat the lining of your stomach, then you can rest.” Giles shook his head when Miami scurried off to the kitchen, still chattering. “I’m not Betty Crocker, but I made lots of snacks for my mom and dad, so I’ve got this. Essex, can you make him a drink? Ginger ale would be perfect.”
“I don’t like ginger ale. I want something with booze in it.” His glare was scorching but easily ignored.
“You have the same clothes to get glad in.” Giles hadn’t expected her to hear him since she was already busy cutting up cheese and arranging God only knows what else on a plate. He didn’t really dislike the bubbling beverage Essex set in front of him, but he’d have been happier with a beer. “Don’t give him any alcohol. The information CeCe sent is very clear about that. We don’t need you falling and undoing all her handiwork.”
Five minutes later, Giles was staring down at the plate she’d set on his lap. He couldn’t believe what she’d done in such a short time. The thin slices of cheese were fanned out on one side, with crackers artfully arranged on the other. Between the two were several strawberries cut to look like roses with orange segments for leaves. Giles had grown up in a house where his every wish had been catered to by servants. His parents hadn’t shown more than a passing interest in him until he told them he’d joined the military. They’d raised seven kinds of hell, calling him ungrateful, among other things. It took them the better part of two years to speak to him again. He couldn’t remember his mother ever caring enough to make something look this appealing.
“Is something wrong? I tried to make it look attractive for you because I know when you aren’t feeling great, appearance is everything.”
Giles wanted to kick himself for making her feel insecure.
