Just One Taste (Topped #2)(12)

When they catered anywhere but McKay-Taggart, he allowed the line chefs to prep the meals, but that team was special to Sean so he made sure to do it himself.

“Did you pack up the salads?” Javier strode in. He’d made the potato salad himself. It was a special recipe with a nice zing of red pepper. It had been waiting for Eric in the fridge when he’d gotten in this morning. Though Javi was a hot mess when it came to his relationships, the line chef was more than ready to take over for Eric when he left in a few months.

His own place. His own space. He couldn’t wait, and after last night, he had some hopes that he wouldn’t be going alone.

“I’ve got them and the soup ready to go.” He’d made a chicken tortilla soup and packed individual condiments to go with it. Details were important in his line of work.

They were important in every aspect of his life. Paying attention to details was critical when it came to being in a relationship. Even more important when that relationship included D/s.

Deena had responded beautifully to him the night before. She’d been obviously surprised at first, but then she’d taken that spanking with grace and need. She wasn’t playing around as he’d worried. She needed the safety of a D/s relationship and she needed the discipline. She’d been on the edge of a breakthrough and he’d hated to stop. If they’d been alone, he would have spanked her longer. She hadn’t fought him at all, hadn’t squirmed and begged him to stop. At the end her hand had been holding onto his leg, stroking him and squeezing in a way that encouraged him. She’d needed it, been desperate for it.

He wanted so badly to be the one to give her what she needed.

“So how did it go after the class last night?” Javi asked, his eyebrows waggling salaciously.

Oh, he was shutting that shit down now. “I didn’t see her after the class broke off, and I swear I will put you on your ass if you make her feel the slightest bit uncomfortable.”

Javi’s hands came up. “I promise. I swear on my honor…well, on something else that’s way more important. I’m not going to treat her any differently now that I’ve seen her butt. Same with Tiff. I’m going to pretend like I haven’t seen either of their boobs. But seriously, they have great boobs.”

“Remember that there’s a difference between work boobs and club boobs.” It was perfectly fine to look at boobs in the club. It would be a bit rude not to, but there was a time and place.

And Javi wasn’t Deena’s Dom. Or Tiffany’s for that matter. “Did you talk to Mia afterward?”

“She’s a nice girl.” Javi leaned against the prep table. “I don’t know much about her yet.”

“I didn’t think you needed to know much.”

Javi shrugged, giving in on the point. “I don’t in order to go to bed with her. This is a little different.”

Wow. He sounded serious for once. This was the man who was known for hooking up with three different women in one night at the same club. That had started the single greatest catfight Eric had ever seen, complete with hair pulling and scratching. “Are you actually taking this seriously?”

“I’m not looking for a permanent sub, but I do want to be a good Dom.”

“I guess I thought you were doing this for sex.”

Javi’s lips quirked up. “I’m definitely doing this for sex and that’s why I can say with complete confidence, it ain’t happening between me and Mia. I know when a chick is into me and she’s not. She had all these questions about the lifestyle, and I swear the girl was disappointed when she found out I work at Top and not McKay-Taggart. I think she likes her men on the dangerous side. But I am interested in changing up my sex life. If I keep on the way I am, someone’s going to shoot me. Besides, I’ve got more than enough chaos in my life. I need less and this is a way to organize my social life, so to speak. If I go in with a contract, then a woman is going to know what I can and can’t give her. Everything’s up front and honest. I think I need some of that in my life.”

Javi’s home life was completely chaotic. It made sense that he would want the comfort of Sanctum and its contracts.

It wasn’t that different from the reasons Eric wanted them or Deena needed them. Like all humans they were damaged and trying to adapt.

He meant to help Deena find that place she needed to find.

“So don’t worry that I’m going to make things uncomfortable,” Javi finished. “I have to admit I am glad I got Mia and not Tiff. That would be hard, man. Are you sure you can handle working with your sub?”

If he had his way he would do more than work with her. He would spend all his time with her. “We’ll be fine.”

Javi shook his head. “Really? I’m not a fool, man. I know you’ve had a thing for this girl since the minute she walked in the door. You think you can make it through training without getting inside that?”

“First of all she’s a woman, not a that, and I do not intend to avoid getting into bed with her.” He moved the last sack to the table. “Though she did manage to avoid me last night. After tonight’s contract session, she’s not going to be able to hide anymore.”

He had plans. After he’d realized she’d left with Tiffany the previous night, he’d known it was time to set some ground rules.