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“Can’t say I have, but go back to the middle of nowhere part.”
His friend cleared his throat sheepishly. “Twenty miles or so to the nearest town. Don’t worry about that—Att has a caretaker who looks after the place when it’s empty, and he keeps it fully stocked. It’s fucking nirvana.”
Saul narrowed his eyes. “Does Atticus know you’re pimping out his cabin?”
“Of course. I think he likes the idea of the place getting some use, even if it’s not him staying there. He said to extend the offer to anyone who wanted to get away for a while—it’s not as though he and Alicia are going to be able to visit this year.”
That was true. The Daddy Dom and his princess were in D.C. on the start of Alicia’s journey to regain full use of her legs. Her new doctor had recommended a physical therapist with an amazing track record of success, and in proper Daddy style, Atticus had dropped everything to get his little the best care available.
The gesture of loaning out the cabin was just like him.
“If you’re sure it’s okay with Atticus…”
Thane grinned and limped back to his chair, pain gleaming in his eyes. As he settled back into his seat, the grin faded a little as he rubbed his leg, but humor shone beneath the discomfort. He’d changed since he first came to Avalon, around the same time Saul had joined—the broodiness of the troubled man he’d been was less pronounced. He smiled more, was generally a lot happier—laugh lines bloomed around his mouth and eyes, replacing the ones worn into his face from his past.
Saul loved him like a brother.
“Give him a call. He won’t mind—it’s just going to waste during the best months of the year.”
“Surely summer would be the best time for staying up there?” Saul had no intention of calling and interrupting what would surely be a tense time for the Daddy Dom. That kink wasn’t one he particularly enjoyed, but he knew that for the Dominants—male or female—who took a little into their care, seeing them in pain was distressing.
“Trust me, no. Bugs and humid heat, bad combination. I got bit too many times to count. This time of year, you might get the tail end of the summer weather, but you’ll have cool nights, perfect with a few logs on the burner and a bottle of something cold…shit, I’m coming with you.”
Saul laughed and walked over to his office mini-fridge for a beer, only reaching for one when Thane shook his head. Knowing his friend’s aversion to anything with more legs than he had limbs, Thane’s trip might not have been the idyllic retreat he’d hoped. But then, the reason for that getaway hadn’t been a happy one. “Not likely. I want some peace and quiet, not your dulcet tones screeching through the place when you see a spider.”
Amber eyes glared at him. “They’re the size of fucking dogs up there, Saul, I swear to God they are. Scuttling around on eight legs and staring at you with all those eyes while they run across the floor, the walls, the fucking pillow.”
“They just want to join you for a nap, bud. You’re too pretty to resist.”
The sheer horror on Thane’s face at the notion that an arachnid would nap with him would stay forever in Saul’s memory. He reached for his pocket as his cell phone rang, giving Saul the side-eye. “Hey, sugar. No, I’m just talking with Saul, about to head back in…ten minutes or so.” He paused, his eyebrow shooting up. “All right. We’ve just been talking about that…yes, Saul’s going to take advantage of the cabin for a few weeks. Did you…oh, that’s good. Okay. I’ll call Cooper and tell him to expect a guest in the next couple of days.”
The next couple of days? Saul wondered. Was Thane going to pack for him too, load his bags, and then wave him off? Chuckling, he dropped back into his chair and popped the lid off the bottle, one ear on Thane as he began to read through the pathetically bare bones of his article.
“I’ll do that now, sugar. Okay. I love you too.” Thane disconnected, shoving his phone away. Reaching into his other pocket, he lifted out a set of keys and plucked one off the chunky ring. With a wink, he tossed it onto the blotter in front of Saul. “My sub’s a little eager for me to get home. That’s the key to the front door of the cabin—do not lose it. I’ll call the caretaker and explain you’ll be residing there for a while. If you need anything, just shoot me an email.”
“I’ll have to resort to using carrier pigeons,” Saul muttered.
“It’s the woods, Saul, not a never-ending pit. Internet, phone lines, signal…it’s all set up and raring to go. There’s only one bedroom but you’ll find there’s a nice, compact office you might enjoy using.” As he spoke, Thane rose and edged toward the door. “Because we both know you’re not leaving your laptop behind.”
“She goes where I go.” Obviously, Connie had enticed her lover home with some deviously delicious sex—Thane was sneaking away without actually being as sneaky as he thought. “Go, have kinky sex with the shrink.”
“Oh, I’m gone,” was the cheery reply as his friend stepped out of Saul’s office. “If you set off early in the morning, you should miss the majority of the traffic.”
Before Saul could fire back with an answer, he was indeed gone.
Well, he supposed with a quick rub of his chin, it seemed as though he was going on a vacation he hadn’t planned, for an indeterminate length of time. What fun. As long as he had the quiet he needed to concentrate on writing his article, and finding himself again, maybe it would be refreshing to get away from the hustle of Phoenix for a while.
Saul smiled to himself. It had been a long time since he’d been completely on his own without the demands of work. Avalon provided an escape, but there was always someone right there, asking him to scene, wanting him to play. Time for himself sounded perfect, and now the offer had been made, he found himself looking forward to being alone.
Oh yes, he was going to enjoy himself.
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Chapter Two
What the hell had she gotten herself into? This was a really, really bad idea. Even before she’d stepped onto the street from her apartment building to get into the big, rusty-red truck waiting for her, she’d wanted to run back in, slam the door shut, and lock herself inside her haven before crawling under the covers on her big, soft bed.
Never to be seen again.
