The Strength of the Pack (Suncoast Society #30)(17)

Or was there a hidden intake pipe somewhere at the bottom of that pool, ready to suck him in and spit him through crushing turbines before dumping him out on the other side of her stalwart emotional dam?

He didn’t know, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized maybe he would be willing to take a chance on her.

Not something he thought he’d be saying anytime soon.

Maybe it’s the time of year making me feel melancholy.

Growing up, Christmas in their home had always been filled with cheer, friends, the smell of their mom baking, the tree decorated to the ceiling, and love.

Lots of love.

He’d done his best when Cherise was younger to keep that spirit alive as much as possible, including cooking holiday dinners and inviting as many friends over as he could to fill the seats with bodies and the house with noise.

But they were always alone at the end of the evening. Just the two of them.

When she was eighteen, she finally sat Nate down and explained the facts of life to him. That she appreciated him doing it, but he didn’t have to do it for her.

They still decorated the tree—they had last year, even though she’d moved out—but their holiday dinners were now quiet affairs, always the two of them and whoever either of them might be dating, and sometimes a stray friend or two who didn’t have anyone to spend the day with.

Nate had always tried to hold to the philosophy that what he needed would enter his life at the right time. Maybe that was why Eva had entered his life now. Or perhaps the converse was true—that he was entering her life at the right time. Mutual rightness.

He couldn’t focus on anything but her this morning, it seemed. Yes, he found himself physically attracted to Eva, but that was low on his list. Her personality, her intellect, her energy were what really drew him.

The obvious love she had for her daughter, her family.

That all those traits were contained within a beautiful wrapper only made it that much sweeter.

From what Nate could tell, Eva wasn’t looking for any of the three big red flags that always put him off—a sugar daddy, a quick f*ck, or a Dominant/Master.

If anything, it seemed he’d finally met someone nearly as cautious as he was in terms of getting involved.

That was a refreshing change.

Maybe he was strange, but the few times he’d had a woman throw herself at him at the club after working with her one time, that was a turn-off, not a turn-on. How could she even know she’d like to have a conversation with him when she’d barely talked to him? How could less than an hour of mostly one-sided communication specifically relating to what they were doing lead someone to want to jump into bed?

Of course he believed in strong, instant attraction. He was cautious, not stupid. Maybe he was the oddball exception. Cherise had joked about it enough.

In that way, he envied his sister. She could meet someone, talk with them, and start playing with them that very same night. As a Top, not as a bottom, but she was freer in that way.

Just like he sometimes envied the men who could be service Tops and pick up play partners for the evening.

He saw what he did as different. Yes, he could put someone on his table at the club after talking to them for a few minutes, but he could also pull his professional wall into place without hesitation and do good without draining himself in the process. If he felt a connection with someone, he could engage a little more deeply and draw more energy from the interaction, but it was…different.

Not that he could put it into words, because he’d tried on several occasions to do just that while talking with Cherise.

Back home, he got his shower and was working on his first cup of coffee and breakfast when his cell phone rang.

Cherise. “Hey. Can you pick me up on your way in?”

“What happened?”

“Wade’s battery died and I let him take my car. He’s going to get a new battery today at lunch.”

“Sure.”

She hesitated. “Soo?”

“We can talk in the car.”

“Bad? Good? Don’t keep me hanging.”

“It wasn’t unpleasant. And that’s all you’ll get from me until I get there.” He hung up, smiling, knowing she’d practically bounce out to his car when he pulled into the driveway of their rented duplex apartment.

Sure enough, that’s exactly what she did, looking a little like an excited puppy. “Okay, so spill it,” she ordered as she buckled her seatbelt. “How’d it go?”

He recounted the evening, leaving out his suppositions regarding Eva’s potential emotional baggage. “We’re going to meet at the club Friday night and talk some more.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? That’s…that’s great!”

“Why do you seem so surprised?”

“Fucking seriously? Duh.” She poked him in the shoulder. “A second date like that for you is nearly unheard of anymore.”

“That’s not true.”

“Name the last time you went out on an actual second date-date with someone. I don’t mean going out with a group of friends, either. It’s been a couple of years, hasn’t it?”

He started to protest that she was wrong before his jaw snapped shut.

“Uh-huh,” she said. “Exactly.” She sipped coffee from her travel mug.

“Piss off,” he muttered.