Wishes (4 page)

Madi was waiting outside in her little sports car, so Kennedy slipped in beside her and they were on their way. Madi looked like the runway model she was when the mood struck her, dressed in a beautiful linen dress with matching pumps and understated gold jewelry. The morning air felt delicious after her restless night and Kennedy closed her eyes to better enjoy it.

“Whatcha thinking about?” asked Madi.

“Just enjoying the weather, Madi,” she replied. “Aren’t we picking up Alberta?”

“She wouldn’t get out of bed,” huffed Madi. “She met some guy at the club the other night, and that’s why we hardly ever see her.”

Kennedy wondered if the guy might be Graham Alexander, then quickly pushed the thought away. “I hope he’s a nice person, Madi. I know that most of the men who go to that club are, well…”

Madi’s laughter cut her off. “They’re mostly Doms, Kennedy. It’s okay to say it. But I think Alberta is involved with a switch, you know, somebody who likes to dominate and be dominated. You know how Alberta gets. He might be perfect for her.”

Kennedy chewed on that information for a while. She loved her friends but was beginning to think she had never really known them. How could that be? They had been friends since grade school, inseparable. Sure, Alberta was the alpha bitch, and Madi the follower, mostly always acquiescent. Kennedy did what she wanted to do. Sometimes she would go along with Alberta, but other times she would walk away. Madi hated that when it happened, hated controversy. But then Alberta would give in, and Kennedy would rule for a while. Kennedy thought she had always been an independent type. She had to be, in her family. If one didn’t take care of oneself, then no one else stepped up to the plate. Her parents probably loved her, their only “accident,” but had been neglectful, allowing her to scramble up on her own, learning right from wrong from some pretty special neighbors and teachers, who also provided crucial supervision and discipline. Her parents had both died in a car accident just before she graduated college. All in all, she hadn’t turned out too badly and life had been going pretty well until just over a year and half ago. Until her boss’s nephew.

Kennedy breathed and grounded herself just like the therapist had coached her to do, and the feeling of being closed in passed. A bit of self-talk and she was good to go. Damn that Graham Alexander for stripping her of her control and infusing it with arousal. It all wove together, and how was she ever going to cope if he didn’t keep his distance? Because she knew he hadn’t given up. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she did, just as she had known the sun was going to rise this morning. She would resist of course, but she didn’t appreciate the work ahead of her to dissuade him.

Madi pulled up to a restaurant that featured valet parking. This was going to cost. Madi came from money and only modeled when she liked the product, so for sure, Madi was picking up this tab. Kennedy had money in the bank on top of her savings. It had been termed severance pay, but it was really conscience money. It spent the same though. However, she needed enough to live on until she got another job, and eating out all the time, especially in this kind of place, wasn’t part of her life plan at the moment. They climbed out of the car, and the valet whisked it off. Kennedy followed Madi inside, blinking at the sudden transition from bright sunlight to muted lighting.

“Patrick!” Madi called, rushing across the room past the hostess to throw her arms around a tall, dark-haired man who cuddled her close and dropped a kiss on her hair.

Kennedy followed more leisurely. She should have known that Madi would have a man in every restaurant. She smiled indulgently, mirroring the look on the guy’s face as he helped Madi into a chair. He was clearly nuts about her friend, so he was okay in her book. The alarm bell rang in her head as his name registered. Patrick. Not a really common name these days. Where had she heard that name recently?

Kennedy stopped by the table and fixed a look on her friend. Enough was enough. If Graham Alexander popped out of the woodwork, she was going to stab him with one of those lovely, silver bread knives lying on the table and then slap her friend silly.

Madi looked up and her, and her face sobered.

“Kennedy?” she said. “This is Patrick Morrison. He…”

Kennedy broke in, “I know who Mr. Morrison is, or at least where he works, Madi. Don’t get up. I’ll get a cab.”

“Ms. Johnson.” Patrick’s deep voice froze her in her tracks. He clearly didn’t like her treatment of Madi, and while she could admire him for his loyalty, what about Madi’s loyalty to her?

She stared at him and waited him out.

“Madison was certain you would not come if you knew I would be here, Ms. Johnson,” Patrick stated, giving her a dark stare. “However, I would be obliged if you would have breakfast with us and hear me out. Madison cares about you and would not do this if she believed it wasn’t in your best interest.”

“Quite frankly, Mr. Morrison, I’m not certain Madi, or Alberta for that matter, know what is in my best interest anymore. I don’t think I know
them
anymore. I have tried to make it clear to Mr. Alexander that his attentions are not welcome, and yet he persists. It is upsetting, and I won’t put up with it.” Kennedy turned to leave, avoiding the tears now standing in Madi’s eyes.

“Actually, Ms. Johnson,” he advised, “this has nothing to do with Graham, although you should know he is my best friend and I will of course defend him unless he acts in a way that is indefensible. The purpose of this breakfast is twofold. Madison insisted that I meet you because we are in a relationship, and she wanted me to meet her best friend. You are hurting her with your stubborn attitude. Secondly, I understand you are in need of a job, and I am in the market for a personal assistant.”

Kennedy tried not to gape like a fish. She closed her mouth with a snap and searched for words. “I apologize to you both. My mistake. Congratulations, Madi. And you, Mr. Morrison, I hope you realize what a wonderful woman you are in a relationship with.”

The “and you’d better not fuck her over”
didn’t have to be added. It hung there in the silence like the unspoken threat that it was.

“Call me Patrick please, Kennedy. I do so appreciate loyalty. Will you join us so we can discuss the PA position over breakfast.” It wasn’t a request, and Kennedy heard the order in his tone and balked.

“Sorry, Mr. Morrison. It’s likely I already have a job judging from the way my last two interviews went, and I quite frankly have no interest in being a PA for someone who works in, or for, the kind of club you are connected to. Madi, I’m sorry, but I am so done with surprises.”

* * * *

Madi sighed as she watched her best friend leave the restaurant. Patrick pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

“Kennedy has been through a lot, Patrick,” she reminded him. “And Alberta and I have changed over this past while, or at least come into ourselves. Kennedy doesn’t understand that yet. I shouldn’t have pushed her so hard.”

“I convinced you that Graham would likely be the perfect Dom for your friend, Madison,” Patrick reassured her. “You are correct in recognizing a woman who desperately needs to let someone take over for her, even if it is just in the bedroom. Kennedy quite obviously carries too heavy a burden. But we have tried our best. It’s now up to Graham.”

Madison shook her head. “Graham will not control her, Patrick. Truly he won’t. She’s different than I am.
I
want you to take charge. I need you to. I trust you one hundred percent with my whole self. Kennedy doesn’t trust anyone now, not even me, and because of what I just did, she’s alone.”

The tears slipped out of her eyes and flowed over her cheeks, unchecked. Patrick held her and rocked her gently.

* * * *

Kennedy walked for miles and miles in the general direction of her apartment. She found herself on residential streets lined with mature trees and wondered at the luck of the people, the families who lived there. The longing she felt for such a life was something she rarely allowed herself to consider, but it was there, nevertheless. It was a lot to ask for, a husband, a house like one of these in a similar neighborhood, a child, maybe even a pet. A vision of Graham Alexander, dressed in those tight leather pants, his chest bare, rose up in her head, and she choked back hysterical laughter. Time to find a cab.

By the time she got home, Kennedy was regretting her long walk. Her feet were sore and blistered and not a little swollen, and she was sunburned. She was preoccupied with her discomfort and didn’t notice who opened the door of her building to allow her to precede him. But she smelled him, a warm, manly smell mixed with a hint of citrus. Enough. No more running.

“Why are you here?” she demanded.

Graham stared down at her, his gray eyes warm somehow, a tiny frown marring his brow.

“Patrick called and said he had offended you. I’ve been waiting for hours for you.”

“I hardly need to explain where I was…” Kennedy stopped, about to do just that. What was it with this man? She had to get away from him.

She turned away and tried not to obviously limp. Instantly he was at her side, firmly removing the keys from her hand, moving ahead to open her apartment door. Kennedy wanted to cry. She was sore and tired and couldn’t do this anymore. She ducked her head.

“Do you want me to carry you?” Graham asked.

Kennedy didn’t trust her voice so shook her head and made her way into her apartment. She sank down on the nearest surface, which just happened to be the couch, and reached to unfasten her sandals. Graham was already kneeling beside her and gently pushed her hands away. He eased the offending footwear off and tensed at her hiss of pain, which was coupled with relief.

* * * *

Fuck, that little noise she made sent all the blood to his cock. It was the same little hitch of breath he had heard when he spanked her. He was some kind of deviant for sure. Kennedy’s feet were clearly hurting, and here he was wondering if he could get a look up the skirt of the cute little dress she was wearing. He looked at her face instead and saw that she had leaned her head back on the couch, her eyes closed. She had gotten a whole lot of sun, and while some kind of sweater thing had protected her shoulders, her forearms, neck, and face were really pink. So were her calves and the tops of her feet. Her silky, ivory skin was going to peel if he didn’t help her out. At least that was what he told himself.

After his initial plan of charm and seduction had backfired and he had scared his little woman, he thought he might have sabotaged his hope of connecting with her. Except it felt like he had no choice. If that made him a stalker, well, tell that to his cock, and his gut, too. Mostly his gut and maybe another more important organ just north of his gut. Shit. He heard about lightning striking other men and had felt sorry for them. Now there could be a pity party for him. Time to try Plan B.

Graham located the bathroom and began to fill the tub. He found some white vinegar in the door of the fridge and soaked a washcloth in it. He and his little woman were going to have to invest in washcloths the way they were using them for injuries. He went back to find Kennedy still in the position he had left her and marveled that she was asleep.

“Honey,” he said by her ear, “Kennedy, wake up.”

Kennedy sat up with a start and nearly cracked him in the face with her forehead. Good God, he was going to need disability insurance around her.

Kennedy looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Why are you still here? Go away.”

“I’m going to help you with that sunburn, honey, and fix up your feet,” he advised her.

“I’m good. I can take care of myself. Thanks,” she added as an afterthought.

Graham ignored her and pressed the cloth on her forearm. Kennedy went rigid at the initial touch, and then, as the discomfort of the burn obviously diminished, she laid her head back again and allowed him to apply the cloth to her arms and her face. She stiffened again when he touched her neck but gradually relaxed. Graham carefully folded her dress up to a modest length before he treated her legs, trying to show respect, and was rewarded when Kennedy sighed her appreciation. Her bonelessness quickly dissipated when he then swung her up into his arms and walked with her to the bathroom.