The Dom With the Perfect Brats (27 page)

Cross stared down at her as his mind sorted through possible places he could drag her off to.

He looked up and Jude was there, smirking. “If you let dinner get cold, Sabrina will never feed you again, Cross.”

What the hell was he doing? Cross dropped the hand that pinned Gemma’s neck then he pulled her gently away from the wall and led her after Jude. She clung to his hand, as though afraid he’d vanish. Had he really been about to drag her off and fuck her in the stairwell? Wasn’t he supposed to be the one in control?

As everyone took their seats, Cross found their merriment jarring. Izzy smiled at them and winked, but the other two women politely ignored their tardiness to the table. Q was joking about doing cover photos with Jude and Cross posing together.

Izzy crowe
d, “Oh, I totally forgot! I went to a book signing with Cross a few months ago and a bunch of women thought he was a cover model. I practically had to pry him from their claws to get us out of there.”

“That’s nothing.” He shook his head. “Wait until you see this story she has coming out next week.” He let Izzy continue, knowing she’d want to.

“Yes.” The shine in her eyes told him how proud she was. “Cross and Gemma let me use them as tattoo models for a story on tattooing. They look so amazing I may have to fight off admirers with a stick.”

“
Congratulations! I keep telling Jude we could make extra money peddling his hot body on stock photo sites, but he’s too shy.” Q winked at Jude and he menaced her with a wooden spoon.

“N
o playing for another six weeks at least, you two!” Sabrina was up and between them in the blink of an eye.

“Spanking her isn’t fair game right now?” Cross smirked.

“You know damn well that spanking
me
is never fair game for anyone, Mr. Cross.”

“Hey! I think that’s the first time you’ve ever given me an honorific.”

Sabrina started passing platters around. Roast, potatoes, carrots. Although he hadn’t thought he’d be able to eat, Cross was in food heaven. He piled his plate with enough to feed a small family.

“Jeez, Cross. You’re going to have them thinking we don’t feed you.” Izzy elbowed him as he doused the entire mound in gravy.

“I starved for months before you two came along. Look at how scrawny I am now – I used to have big muscles. This is what happens when ketchup packets become my main food source.”

Q rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me that you two fell for his ‘I can’t cook’ nonsense.”

“He was going to put ketchup in the lasagna!” Izzy protested.

“I never said he wasn’t clever.
” Q chuckled and threw a dinner roll at his head.

Cross caught the leavened missile and took a big bite of it. “Needs butter.”

His girls were glaring at him, and he knew the jig was up. They’d insist he cook for the next few weeks now. It had been a sweet deal while it lasted. At least now he wouldn’t have to wait for them both to be at work when he cooked for his parents.

“No food fights!” Jude admonished, glaring menacingly at Q and waggling the wooden spoon, which he’d kept close at hand. “I’m still trying to get the icing stains out of the tile grout in the kitchen floor.”

“Oh fuck, that was hot.” Cross grinned wolfishly.

Sabrina blushed, but Q just rolled her eyes. “
It wasn’t that big a deal. Everything important was covered in icing.”

Cross murmured,
“...and tongue marks.”

Izzy and Gemma looked around the table for clarification. Cross realized that Gemma wasn’t talking much, and he wondered how long it would take her to snap out of sub mode. It had been a beautiful thing – one he wanted to try again later tonight, if he could.

Sabrina shook her head ruefully. “If you two ever decide to have a dessert-related wrestling match, make sure you lock the door first. Neither of these boys believes in knocking.”

Cross barked a laugh. “If you knock, you miss all the action!”

For a few minutes they all ate in silence, the savory meal capturing and holding their attention.

“So, is Jude as much of a rule monger as Cross? Or is it just
our
Neanderthal that’s like that?” Gemma asked Q, who sat across from her at the table.

“Gemma,” Cross rumbled a warning.

Q ignored him. “Hmm, all Doms have rules – even I do as a switch – though I get the impression that Cross is harder to please than Jude is. But then, we’re pretty bratty and we’ve browbeaten him into being reasonable over the past year or so.”

Jude gave Gemma a roguish grin. “
My girls both submit deeply to me when it matters. When I was young and idealistic I thought I wanted a nice meek girl. These two set me straight.”

“You’ll have to give me tips on browbeating later,” Gemma said.

Out of sub mode and back to bratty already? He’d hoped to keep her in a submissive mindset all night so she’d be ready for him later.

They worked their way through supper and dessert before heading back into the main floor sitting room.

“Why are we sitting down here tonight?” Cross asked Jude as he settled back into the couch. “Baby projects in the upstairs living room?”

“Er...more like we had a big hardcore session up there last night and didn’t get around to cleaning up yet.
” Jude smiled a lazy apology at them. “There’s still manacles hanging from the ceiling. I didn’t want to freak your girls out just yet.”

“I only realized it two minutes before you guys walked in, so we didn’t have a chance to clean up.” Sabrina sat between Jude and Q’s feet as they arranged themselves on the other couch. Q looked like getting comfortable just wasn’t going to happen. Sabrina leaned her head on Jude’s knee and both her Doms trailed fingers over her neck and hair absently.

Cross’s girls slid into the curves of his arms and he sighed contentedly. Gemma was on her third beer, but Izzy had stopped after one. Nothing crazy in the bedroom tonight if he didn’t slow Gemma down soon.

“I won’t play with you tonight if you’re drunk,” he whispered in her ear. She plunked her bottle down on the side table as though she’
d just realized beer was disgusting.

He laughed and she
smacked him softly on the chest.

“
Spoilsport.”

“I left the choice up to you,” he replied. “But if you swat me again, there will be consequences.”

“Jude isn’t bossy like this, is he?”

“Sometimes,” shrugged Q. “But he’s too lazy to be consistent, thankfully.”

“You want to see bossy?” Sabrina said, hiking a thumb at Q. “You should see Q in action when she’s not smuggling a basketball under her t-shirt.” Her grin became a wince as Q’s hand tangled in her long blond hair.

“You like me bossy, little girl,” Q growled close to her ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear in the quiet living room.

“I do,” Sabrina breathed.

Q chuckled and stroked Sabrina’s hair straight again.

“See?” Cross looked at his girls, one at a time. “You’re lucky I’m your Dom, instead of Q. She’s more uber-Dom than I’ll ever be.”

“Bullshit! I don’t believe that for a second.” Gemma smiled
and punched Cross’s arm.

A moment later
he gave her a close-up view of the floor as she dangled over his knee. “I warned you, no hitting me. And you know you’re not supposed to be swearing.” He gave her three sharp smacks on the ass then sat her back on the couch beside him.

The storm in her eyes didn’t bode well.

Gemma

Gemma scrambled backward then rose to her feet, as far away from Cross’s reach as she could get. Her mind whirled. She was breathing so fast, she wasn’t sure she could work up the volume to yell at him – which she desperately wanted to do.

He stood up from the
couch, looking like he was coming for her. She stepped back until she was up against the wall. “What the fuck was that?” she finally managed to say.

His forehead creased. “I warned you. You knew it was coming.”

“Yeah, I thought when we left. Maybe. But, fuck, Cross. I was joking around!”

“I told you I’d sometimes choose to p
unish immediately. Now stop cussing and apologize to Jude and his girls.”

“The fuck I will!
”

When he moved forward she pu
t a hand up. “Stay away from me.”

Anger grew in his eyes as he heaved in a breath.

“Cross.” Q’s voice came from the right. He looked at her and she shook her head an infinitesimal amount.

After a
sigh, he backed away. “We’ll talk about this later.”

“I’m ready to go home now. Please.
” She was seconds away from bursting into tears. Going from so horny the rumbling of the truck on the way over almost made her come to sickeningly submissive in the hallway a few minutes ago was giving her emotional whiplash. The humiliation of being flung over Cross’s knee as if she were nothing more than a petulant child had sent her over the edge.

“Why? Because you’re embarrassed to be disciplined in public? It’s not a big deal. Q and Sabrina are used to it.”

“It’s a big fucking deal to me!”

“
You know this is my way.”

She snorted and crossed her arms. “
Yeah, I know. Your way or the highway. You want a kinky, slutty Stepford wife. I’ll never be that, Cross. Get it through your head or get out of my life.”

His gaze flicked to Jude and the girls then he pursed his lips. “We’ll discuss this privately.”

“You are your obstacle, Cross.” The words left her mouth before she could stop them. “You’re filled with such a deep self-loathing that you’re incapable of loving anything that doesn’t adhere to some ridiculous rules of perfection. You can’t possibly love anyone until you accept them. And you can’t accept anyone until you accept yourself.”

His mouth popped open for a fraction of a second before he wiped the shock away and replaced it with his usual neutral expression. She wanted to scream. He couldn’t even pretend to be mad or hurt or
...or...
something
? Anything other than that arrogant indifference. Was he so broken he couldn’t see what he was doing to her? To them? Was hope lost on him?

She waited for him to say something. He just stared,
looking as helpless as a little boy trying to be tough for his friends. Then it hit her. He really didn’t get it. The barriers were too deeply ingrained.

With a resigned sigh, she managed to choke back her sorrow and say,
“I’ll be in the truck.” She peered over at Jude and noticed the sympathy in his eyes. Sabrina’s mouth was wide open, her eyes big as saucers. Q looked back and forth between her and Cross. “I’m sorry,” she told them. “Sorry to ruin the evening.”

When she walked out the front door, footsteps followed closely behind her. “Gemma.” Izzy’s hand went on her shoulder, to stop her or offer sympathy, she didn’t know. She shook it off.

At the truck, she slid into the back seat. She would not cry. She would hold it back until she reached the privacy of her bedroom. Cross would not see a single tear fall from her eyes. She heaved in a breath, clearing all sadness away, replacing it with indifference. The same fucking indifference Cross wore for them. She could shut her feelings off too.

Except there were moments
... A chink in the armor where what she figured was truly Cross showed through. Lying in bed, tracing each other’s tattoos. The affection in his eyes seemed like it was for her, really her – who she was deep inside – not just a sub who followed rules. When he laughed at her smartass comments instead of threatening to punish her, it made her feel like he actually enjoyed her company. If she could bring that out more...

No. She’d tried that already and look where it got her. Over his fucking knee in front of strangers. She was disgusted.
She’d never be able to look them in the eye again.

BDSM ruined people. It
destroyed relationships. She should’ve listened to her instincts from the beginning. Twice now, she’d been humiliated because of kink. Sure it made sex better but look at the mess it left. Brokeness.

She felt Izzy move in beside her. Izzy. She didn’t want to
lose her – as a friend or a girlfriend. Could she keep Izzy but let go of Cross? She didn’t want to do that either. The thought of breaking up with Cross was like a spike to her heart.

Her hands trembled from the strain of holding back her emotions. She wanted to scream and cry and pound on Cross’s chest until he broke then cry some more. Then maybe drink. She chuckled deliriously.

Finally, Izzy drew her into her arms. She didn’t fight, but she remained tense as she rested her head on Izzy’s shoulder.

Izzy ran her hand up and down Gemma’s arm. She waited for her to say something – scold her, console her. But she only held her, which ma
de it harder not to cry.

“I’m sorry I ruined your night,” she whispered into Izzy’s neck.

She gave Gemma a squeeze. “Eh. It was getting a bit dull anyway.”

A strangled
laugh escaped her as she pulled out of Izzy’s arms. She seemed hesitant to let her go but gave her a small smile.

“Cross is coming,” Gemma said. “I don’t want to look weak.”

She nodded. “I understand.”

Wordlessly, Cross got in the driver’s seat and started up the
truck. When he adjusted the rear view mirror, he looked at Gemma. She turned away and stared out the window. Awkward tension filled the truck. No one spoke as he pulled out onto the street.

“You’ll stay at my place tonight,”
he finally declared.

“
No.”

With a grunt, he opened his mouth to protest but Izzy cut in. “She’ll come home with me.” Cross peered at her in the mirror and she gave him a steady look. “I’ll take care of her.”

After a long pause, he conceded. “Alright.”

Good. She wouldn’t have to jump out of the
truck at the next stop light. Izzy placed her hand over Gemma’s. The twenty-minute ride was the most tense experience she’d had in a long time. Unspoken words swirled around her and she tried to sort them out. She was glad to be with Izzy for the night. Even if Izzy didn’t understand her outburst, at least she could vent. Maybe she could see some solution to this mess that Gemma couldn’t. One thing was clear, she and Cross needed to have a talk. Eventually. When things calmed down.

“I should text
Maddi,” she said to Izzy. “So she’s not worried when I don’t come home. She’s like that.” Once she dug the phone out of her purse, she remembered the battery had died while they were at dinner. “Shit. Dead battery.”

“Here.” Cross handed his phone back. “Use mine.”

“I don’t know her number off-hand.”

“It’s programmed in.”

“What?”

He shook the phone at her and she finally took it from his hand.

“I asked your roommate for her number just in case there was an emergency or something.”

Gemma rolled her eyes. “That’s just weird.”

He gave her a dry look in the rear view mirror. “Yeah ’cause I can’t think of a single reason we’d need it.”

Any other day she’d have laughed
, or made a smartass remark. Now she ignored him and texted Maddi that she’d be staying with Izzy for the night then put his phone down next to her.

In front of Izzy’s apartment, he slowed to a stop and parked next to the curb. Gemma gathered her things, eager to leave the
experience behind her.

Cross turned to look at her. “We’ll talk in the morning, yes?”

She nodded without making eye contact and slipped her phone in her pocket before opening the truck door. Out of the corner of her eye, as she stepped onto the pavement, she saw Cross reach for Izzy and give her a kiss. He held her to him with a hand on the back of her neck and whispered something tenderly to her.

It was hard to swallow. She yearned for that affection. Yes, Cross had kissed her many times, but never with absolute acceptance. There was no denying the truth any longer. He didn’t like her for who she was – only for what he wanted her to be.
A fucking 24/7 sex zombie.

His gaze flicked to her. Since she’d yelled at him, he
’d been stoic – like he didn’t care how she felt, how much she was hurting. But now she saw something different. The strain around his dark eyes as he watched her. His lips held tight in a frown. And it looked like it was hard for him to swallow too.

Gaze still on Gemma, he set Izzy away. He lifted his hand toward Gemma and crooked a finger. She almost went to him. But if he yelled at her, she’d smack him. If he hugged her, she’d cry. So she
choked back a lump of sadness and shut the door.