Page 37 of Crave Me
He shoved open the heavy metal locker room door, banging it against the concrete wall. “That’s what losers say.”
* * *
“So tell me about her.” Bennett took a pull from his beer.
Around us, the bar was only half full, which was pretty typical for a Saturday afternoon. Most of the customers were dressed in either Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks clothing. They roared their approval and disapproval.
While Bennett and I were usually in the fray and excitement, today we were sitting far away from the bar, at a table where we could see the televisions, but be able to talk without shouting.
“What girl?” I asked, shoving my cheeseburger into my mouth. We’d arrived, ordered drinks, then food, and talked about the team and the first game coming up right before Thanksgiving.
“Known you for years, Simon. This last week you haven’t been yourself. Either your dog died, or you’re all twisted up over a chick. And since you don’t have a dog...” He tilted his beer bottle in my direction, waved it in a circle and waited.
Fucker. Sometimes it sucked to have friends. They always needed shit from you and wanted you to talk when you wanted to ignore them.
“Chloe.” I practically growled her name. “Her name’s Chloe and she’s a new sub I’m training.”
His interest piqued. “You? Training a sub?”
I set my beer down, folded my arms on the tabletop and leaned forward, lowering my voice. I didn’t need anyone from town overhearing how the local hockey coach liked to get his dick wet. “I know her. She’s actually Cassie’s little sister—”
“Fuck, Simon. The hell?”
I shook my head. “She’s not like that. I swear it, Bennett. She’s younger, but she came tome.”
“When?”
Six month ago, when I first brushed my lips over hers, when she hid herself from me in the bird-like masquerade mask. I’d jerked off to the thought of her, the image of her hidden behind sparkling crystals and black feathers. Fuck. I was gone for her months ago.
“Had our first session last night.”
“That’s not when she came to you. Come on, Simon. You know what you’re doing?”
I was beginning to think I didn’t have a damn clue.
“She’s not Cassie.” No way would Chloe pull the shit on me that Cassie did. “She’s younger, but she’s tougher. She searched me out, months ago, and I pushed her away. But last week when I was at Luminous, I ran into her, and she was hurt, badly. I told her I’d give her a month to train her so she didn’t get messed up with the wrong Dom and then I’d help her find a good one.”
His shoulders relaxed as I quickly explained but when I mentioned her getting hurt at Luminous, his brown eyes sparked with fury. “She was the girl who was caned?”
Anger suffused his features. Hell, he was ready to launch over the table and pummel the asshole who’d hurt her and the guy was nowhere near. This was why Bennett and I were friends. We had the same values on just about everything.
“Yeah.” I ignored the lingering anger bubbling in my veins at the idea of the two of them being together. At Chloe dropping to her knees to take Bennett’s dick in her mouth. How he’d treat her like a damn queen even while he consumed every inch of her body. “That was her.”
He settled back in the chair and smirked at me. “Mind telling me why you look as though you want to rip my head off right now?”
I drained my beer and turned, searching for the server. “No.”
“What does she mean to you?”
“Nothing.” The lie burned on my tongue. Where was the damn waitress?
Bennett threw his head back and laughed. “Right, and I’m as virginal as the Pope. Don’t lie to me, Simon. You suck at it. Who is she?”
“Right now, she’s a sub I’m training.” Two beers were placed onto the table and I thanked the waitress before taking a deep pull. “Potentially? Everything.”
His eyes widened so large they risked popping straight out and onto the table. Grinning, he shook his head. “You are so fucked. When do you see her again?”
“Tomorrow.” I made the decision as the word came out of my mouth. I’d planned to see her once a week, maybe twice. No way was I waiting so long to see her again. “I’ll see her tomorrow.”
I chugged my second beer while Bennett laughed like the asshole he was.
