Chris jumped as if hit by her imaginary pretzel. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s fine. Iwasenjoying the view.” She grinned at him. “The only things that would make it better would be if your ass were bare and marked. I was tempted to climb the bar and bite it; it looks so delectable.”
Would wonders never cease?She hadn’t imagined Chris could blush.
“Would you like something to drink, Mistress?”
“Sparkling water with lemon, please.”
Chris brought her drink and placed it in front of her. “Will that be all, Mistress?”
“Yes. You can hold the ‘mistress’ for the next little while. Don’t get me wrong, I like hearing it, but I’d like to have a conversation with you right now and all the mistress-ing gets in the way of that.”
“It seemed appropriate to me at the club, but it’s your call. What would you like to talk about?”
She took a long pull on her drink. “We need to coordinate our volunteer schedules. When do you come off the bar?”
“Ten pm.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. I’m DMing from ten to midnight.”
“I see what you mean about the schedules. Would you like me to take care of it?”
She loved how he went out of his ways to please her. “No, you’re stuck here for now. I can talk to Mitch. Uh, Chris, uh…” She paused. “I owe you an apology for calling you a liar after our first scene. I’m also sorry I called it ‘nice.’ It was insulting, and I did it deliberately.”
He braced on the bar top and dipped his head to look her in the eyes. “Why, Kate? Why did you say that?”
Kate sipped her drink as she searched for the right words. “I— I was afraid. The night meant a lot to me, and I was worried it didn’t to you. I lashed out to protect myself.”
“Oh, Kate.” Chris extended his long arm and touched her cheek. “Beautiful Mistress. I accept your apology. I hope you don’t doubt that it was important to me, now?”
“No, I know it mattered to you, too.” She reached for his hand. They remained there, quietly enjoying each other’s presence, until Julie bounced over to order a water. Kate excused herself and went to find Mitch.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Chris!” His mother’s delighted voice was slightly out of sync with the movement of her mouth on the screen of his tablet. When his parents moved to Arizona, they’d come up with this Sunday ritual instead of the regular visits Chris had paid them.
“Hi, Mom.” Chris grinned as his father’s head materialized behind his mother. “…and Dad.” Although his father didn’t enjoy talking to a screen, he usually joined the Sunday chat for a bit.
“How you doing, boy? How’s work?” His father’s voice was eerily similar to his own and still powerful. Chris might be a man in his prime, but he would always be his father’s boy.
“Good, sir. James and I are still working on that downtown project I told you about last week.”
They talked for about ten minutes. His mother had joined a pottery class—“Disastrous,” his father had coughed in his fist, earning him a glare from Mom. His dad’s assessment was likely spot-on, given the other hobbies his mother had attempted then abandoned. They had new neighbors,and their dog had dug up Dad’s freshly planted potatoes this morning. Chris leaned back in his chair as he enjoyed the glimpse into his parents’ lives. As soon as his father left, mumbling something about replanting those damn potatoes, Chris’s mother turned assessing eyes on him.
Uh-oh.
“How are James and that darling Laura doing?”
Although the question was innocent, Chris knew exactly where it was leading.
“They’re doing fine, Mom. James sends his regards.”
“Any chance of a nice daughter-in-law for me any time soon?”
Ah, okay, his attempt at diversion had failed, and Mom had latched on to her favorite topic. “As soon as I meet her, I’ll let you know, Mom.” Why did a blond angel and a redheaded Dominatrix pop in his mind? Marriage wouldn’t be possible with their triad.
They chatted for a little while until his mother excused herself. “I have to get going, darling. If I don’t get your father out of the garden, we’ll either be late for church, he’ll sit there in soil-stained clothes, or we won’t get there at all.”
