My Addiction (Club Desire #2)(32)
She frowned. “I didn’t even know he had a protection detail. He didn’t the last time we had lunch.” She swiped at a tear that slipped down her cheek. Dex reached out and caught the drop on his finger before caressing her face. She leaned against his palm, accepting his offer of comfort, and laid her hand over his to keep it in place. He noticed her hand was trembling.
“My aunt said the security detail was a recent addition, so the Feds must have known something was going to happen. So why the hell didn’t they keep him safe?”
As her voice grew louder, people nearby turned to look. When Kate saw the increased attention, she ducked her chin against her chest.
Dex wished he could answer her question, but knew he couldn’t.
He squeezed her hand. “I’m glad she was able to get back with you. At least you know your uncle is all right.”
Kate nodded, her bottom lip wobbling a bit, showing she was still fighting tears. She had pushed her plate away unfinished. She had most likely lost her appetite as soon as she’d found out about the shooting.
Dex felt bad about that, but when he heard the news report, it had presented him the perfect opportunity to bring it up and gauge her reaction.
He wasn’t sure if the FBI had anything to do with the timing of the release of information. It had worked out well for the case, but the sadness that darkened Kate’s demeanor made his chest ache.
She sniffed, and her brows were drawn together as she struggled not to cry.
“Don’t be ashamed of crying, Kate. He’s like family to you. You have every right to be concerned, and allowing yourself to feel those emotions is better than stuffing them and having them explode on you later.”
She squeezed his hand and blinked rapidly to try to dispel the moisture in her eyes before she met his gaze. “Thanks, Dex.”
He noticed she didn’t use the honorific, and he was fine with that. They weren’t in a scene; they were out together as regular people, not as a D/s pair.
“Are you finished?” He pointed toward her plate. “Would you like a latte or anything?” He remembered she’d ordered a vanilla latte at the VIP lounge before their scene. “I’m not sure if they have them here, but we could find one somewhere if you’d like.”
She took a breath and let it out slowly before her lips curved in a forced approximation of a smile. “No. Thanks. It sounds good right now, but I think I’m more in the mood for hot chocolate heavily dosed with Kahlua or Frangelico. I can get those at home with Rusty curled on my lap.”
Dex motioned for the waitress to bring the bill, wishing the night hadn’t ended as it had. His gut reaction once again told him Kate didn’t have anything to do with his case. He shoved that feeling aside and reminded himself that even if she was involved, she could still be devastated by having a close family friend caught up in the events she was embroiled in. But it didn’t ring true.
He draped his arm protectively across Kate’s shoulders as he guided her to his car. She immediately winced away and sucked in a harsh breath before relaxing and stepping close again. Dex studied her critically and took her hand instead, worried about her reaction. The first few days after a good flogging, the area would be sore as it healed, but she shouldn’t be in as much pain as she had just shown him so soon.
“How bad are you hurting?”
She turned to look at him, as she seemed to think about his question. “I’m usually a little sore for a few days afterwards. No big deal.”
He stopped, his grip on her hand keeping her by his side. He raised her chin with his finger until she met his gaze. “Kate. I need to know the truth. How bad is it?”
She glanced away and then slowly back to meet his gaze. “It’s only two areas, and those have gotten worse over the last few hours. All the pain endorphins have probably flushed out of my system faster than I’m used to. But then, I’ve never had such an amazing flogging.” She swallowed hard, her gaze intense. “And it was amazing. I don’t want you to think I’m some fragile flower and never do it again.”
He caressed her cheek and then leaned down to brush a kiss across her lips. “You’re definitely not a fragile flower. Let’s get you home and I can take a look at your back.”
She allowed him to help her into the car and close the door behind her before he went around to the driver’s side.
When they pulled up outside Kate’s building, Dex got out and walked around the back of his car to pop the trunk and grab a jar of liniment he’d had specially made for Club Desire, and kept on hand. He closed the trunk and opened the passenger-side door to help Kate out.
She remained quiet on the way to the entrance, and then upstairs to her door, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. As soon as they walked into her penthouse, Rusty made a beeline for Kate. When he skidded to a stop in front of her, she scooped him up, holding him close. The cat purred loudly enough for Dex to hear.
Kate stepped into the kitchen and punched in the code to turn off the alarm before returning to the entryway where Dex waited.
A genuine smile bloomed across her face for the first time since she had heard about the shooting. “Rusty always knows when I need cheering up, or when I don’t feel well.”
Dex ran his hand across the tabby’s soft side. “Animals can usually sense when their humans need them.”
He brushed his fingers over her full bottom lip and then cupped her cheek in his palm. “I know you agreed in the car, but I just want to make sure. Are you all right with me taking a look at the marks? We’re not at the club. This is your personal territory, and I won’t intrude if it’s not welcome. But I’m concerned about your level of pain.”