Page 24 of Axe Marks the Spot

I attach my questionnaire I have in a folder on my phone and hit send. Once it goes through, I put my phone back on the bank and resist the urge to look at her questionnaire.

I lie back in the river, floating in the water so I feel weightless. My eyes train on the blue sky through the forest of trees, and I push all thoughts of work—of Lindsey—from my mind. Even if I find it hard to do.

This is simply another client, another person I’m going to build a relationship with and help through my dominance. It isn’t and won’t be more than that.

10

Lindsey

THE PINGING OF MY phone makes my heart rate spike. I put the spatula I’m holding on the counter and pluck my cell out of the back pocket of my jeans, finding a response from DomInTheWoods. That was fast.

A smile lifts my lips as I open it up and read over the email. Sir. He wants me to call him Sir. I think I can do that.

My eyes scan the rest of the email, and my body heat rises.

He sent me his questionnaire? The urge to open it is strong—I want to see how we match up. But I can’t open it now.

“Who’s the text from?”

My eyes find Nathan, who’s on the couch with a book, some paranormal wolf shifter series Morgan got him into. It’s now face down on his lap as he stares at me with curiosity.

My brother is exactly why I can’t open it now, and I’m thankful that Kas is in her room playing video games. Every once in a while, Nathan and I will hear her yelling about something or another.

I’m in the kitchen making grilled cheese for the three of us before I go to work. My neighbor cancelled, so Nathan came over to watch Kas. He deserves a Brother of the Year Award at this point for how often he saves my butt. He’s also continued to bug me about setting up the calendar with times he can help with Kas, which I still haven’t done.

“Oh.” I shove my phone back in my pocket and pick the spatula back up. “Just a spam email.”

I study the grilled cheeses, but I know Nathan hasn’t stopped staring at me. I can feel his eyes burning into me.

“Why are you lying?”

I swallow the lump in my throat and look up at him. “I’m not.”

“Linds.” He chuckles. “You look like you’re about to jump out of your skin.”

I place a hand on my hip and stare at him. “It was nothing.”

Nathan puts the book on the coffee table and walks to the kitchen. I flip the grilled cheeses again as he stands near me, hip against the red granite counter. “Who was it?”

“Nobody.” I scoop one of the sandwiches onto a paper plate and hold it out to Nathan. “Will you take that to Kas?”

Nathan takes the plate, but instead of walking toward Kas’s room, he moves to the dining table and puts it down. “She can eat at the table with us.”

My skin flushes. “She’s not going to like that. You heard how into her game she is.”

“Too bad; she can pause it. We always eat at the table together.”

I want to say not recently. Especially since Mom moved away. But I bet Kas eats with Fox, Morgan, and Nathan at the table when she’s with them. So why shouldn’t she do it here? I’ve just been too tired to fight her on it, so I let her eat in her room.

Nathan walks back to me, and I hand him another plate. Once all the plates are on the table and I’ve added some store-bought tomato soup to some bowls, I make a move toward Kas’s room to convince her to join us, praying she won’t fight me.

Nathan steps in front of me before I get too far. “Before you get Kas, I have to say…” He places his hands on my shoulders. “You don’t have to tell me who messaged you, but I don’t think I’ve seen you excited like that in a long time. Whoever it is, I hope it goes well for you.”

I smile softly at Nathan and almost tell him what the email was, but this is too personal to share. It’s not exactly something you tell your brother. It’s also something I want to keep private. It’s for me and nobody else. Not to mention, I never saw myself doing this. It’s a new side of me that I’m only now just learning about, and I don’t want to share it. I don’t think I need to share it, either, even if Nathan is dying for me to.

“Nathan—”

He leans in and hugs me, which takes me off guard. When my brain catches up to what’s happening, I put my arms around his waist and inhale his woodsy scent.