Rhys exhaled through his nose. “More like a lecture. Don’t. I’m not in the mood.”
“I can’t decide,” Alec went on, unfazed by his warning, “if you don’t know what you want… or if you’re punishing her for wanting it.”
His head snapped up, the accusation cutting deep. “What the hell, Yarborough? You know I’d never do that.”
The man didn’t flinch. “Not consciously.” He studied him at length, then came the advice he promised. “Gaby’s tough, determined, but she’s been through a lot. She doesn’t deserve to be your collateral damage.”
Deserve. There it was again. First, Gaby, then Alec. He had no defense against either.
Without saying more, Alec stepped past him and onto the patio. God knew his brutal truth had been enough.
Rhys stood there, the pyrotechnics outside washing over him, too loud, too bright, too hollow.
He watched as Alec joined the two women. He leaned in to say something, and they both shook their heads—Gaby vehemently. Then the three of them disappeared on the shadowed pathway beside the house.
For all his experience, for all his conviction that he was one of the good ones, Rhys couldn’t make peace with what he’d done. Whatever he called it, restraint, distance, selfishness, it didn’t sit right. Not as a dom or as a man. Not for himself, and definitely not for Gaby.
Chapter 16
She would have gone into the office the following day, a Sunday, but Dev had told her in no uncertain terms to stay away.
“You haven’t taken a day off since you started,” he’d said flatly. “You’ve got a big mission coming up. You need some downtime, Gaby. We need you sharp, and so does Natalie.”
It was a low blow to use her sister. But he was the boss. And he was right, as usual.
She had a mile-long to-do list. At the top of it was sleeping past eight o’clock. She’d tried. Truly. But shutting down her brain after last night had proved impossible. She’d seen 2 a.m., 4 a.m., 6 a.m. When sunshine shone through her blinds, she finally gave up and dragged her tired butt out of bed. As she slogged to the kitchen for caffeine, she winced at the soreness she felt.
Some of it was good. The pleasant kind that came from muscles stretched and used in ways that left her aware of Rhys’s possession, hours afterward.
Some of it wasn’t. Her shoulders were not amused. She rolled them and tilted her head from side to side, testing the stiffness. The position hadn’t been extreme, just unfamiliar.
Her coffee maker was already loaded. Praise be for good habits. She hit the button for the first rejuvenating cup of the morning. While it brewed, she leaned against the counter andscrolled absently through headlines, more out of routine than interest.
Her phone buzzed at the same time a text notification popped up. From Rhys. A small jolt went through her before she tapped the notification.
Rhys:Hydrate. Ibuprofen if you need it.
This was a check-in. The other subs had told her this is what responsible, attentive doms did. She stared at the words longer than necessary. Too long. Another buzz and the screen lit up.
Rhys:Let me know if you feel a physical or emotional letdown.
She’d heard of the emotional and physical crash that could follow a scene, even a good one. Especially a good one.
Was that the restlessness humming under her skin? Or was it whatever this was with him?
Her coffee finished brewing with a hiss and a gurgle. She wrapped both hands around the mug and took a slow sip before typing her return message.
Gaby:I’m fine. No letdown. Thanks for checking in.
Brief and dismissive. He’d get the message.
It wasn’t true, but she didn’t dare say how she really felt, or he’d be on her doorstep. Would he offer an explanation she could work with? Highly doubtful. After the mission, might be too late for her. She’d meant what she said last night. She couldn’t do this anymore.
Gaby snorted a little laugh. Who was she kidding? If he even hinted at being ready to move forward with her, she would be on her knees saying, “Yes, sir.”
Moving to the window, she sipped her coffee, watching sunlight spill across the quiet street below. It was too bright after so little sleep. The world moved with a cheerfulness she envied. She felt unsteady, like her body hadn’t caught up with the end of the roller-coaster ride with Rhys.
She set her mug on the sill and pulled out her phone. Nothing more from Rhys. She turned it over once, twice. Then unlocked it again.
