The Strength of the Pack (Suncoast Society #30)(21)

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Believe me, not that I haven’t wished it a couple of times in the past. Would simplify my life.”

He smirked. “I’m sure it would.” He traced up to her wrist and back down again. He didn’t spot any scarring there from hesitation wounds that would indicate a suicide attempt.

The scarring he’d seen the other night though, not visible tonight with the blouse she was wearing, he’d seen before.

Including on Cherise.

He looked into her eyes as he switched hands, slowly building her trust, enjoying the contact with her, and once again checking her wrist.

No marks on that one, either.

Didn’t mean she hadn’t attempted it at some point in the past, but she hadn’t tried it like that.

“I…I don’t have any interest in anyone else,” she admitted. “Everyone trusts you and says good things about you.”

He nodded. “Thank you. I promise to do my best never to violate that trust.”





Normally he pulled his hair back before he got to work, but not with her.

This wasn’t work, this was personal. Not as intimate as he wouldn’t mind eventually working toward with her, but this was the real him, restrained but not hidden.

He helped her up on the table after they’d talked for a little longer. Lots of eye contact with her, lots of touching her, his fingers trailing farther up her arms as they talked, as he held her gaze with his, gauging her, seeing if she flinched, if she reacted badly.

If he had to guess, whatever had happened likely predated her relationship with Leo. That meant he’d need a long, deep talk with the man at some point.

Not now. Way too soon. They might not even make it to that point.

Maybe she would tell him everything on her own. He wouldn’t interrogate her. If she couldn’t trust him enough to open up about it, it wasn’t his job to pry her open like an oyster to extract the meat and pearl.

Everything in its time.

He started by having her lie there, eyes closed, as he talked to her and judged her stress levels. He placed his hands on her head and immediately felt a change for the better in her. Starting with a modified head massage, he worked on trying to relieve some of her tension before moving into actual Reiki with her.

Around him, the world disappeared.

That’s when he knew.

Usually he could keep a split focus of sorts, especially there at the club. It was almost necessary, in case anyone accidentally encroached into his work space while he had someone on the table with needles in them. Acupuncture needles. He usually didn’t do actual needle play at the club.

That was one of those things reserved for private play.

But with her in his hands and on his table, the world folded and dissolved until it was just her and him, nothing and no one else.

I need to watch that.

It would be far too easy for him to slide into a dynamic with her that she wasn’t prepared for yet. He needed to let her set the pace.

He swabbed a few places on her head with an alcohol wipe and started placing needles. In this way, at least, he knew he could help her and not feel badly about it. Her energy left him feeling charged, alive in a way he hadn’t with anyone else in too damn long.

Yes, he’d take things at her pace and be patient, because he suspected when she finally felt comfortable letting him in that the electricity between them would ignite both their souls.





Chapter Nine


Eva drove home around eleven.

She didn’t want to drive home. She wanted to ask Nate if she could follow him home.

But that would be…

Rushing things.

Yes, she shouldn’t have waited so long to let him treat her. There was something about it that once he helped her sit up, she felt like she could run a marathon.

Well, maybe run to the store and back in record time, but still, same thing.

Her emotional fog had lifted, letting in sunshine for the first time in too damn long.

Even better than during what she’d always felt were “good” times with Leo.

This time, Nate had asked if he could see her again, much to her delight. They had agreed to get together again Monday night. She wouldn’t have to worry about Laurel, because Leo and Jesse would be able to watch her.

It also wouldn’t be that long of a wait until Eva got to see Nate again.

When she got home, Leo and Jesse were adorably snuggled on the couch and watching a Disney movie.

She smiled as she set her purse down. “I figured you’d be watching something R-rated.”

Jesse yawned. Bless his heart, between school and work, he was exhausted. “We couldn’t find the remote and by the time we did, we were both into it and too lazy to change the channel.” He sat up, scooting away from Leo and patting the couch between them.

“Time for my debriefing, huh?” She walked over and sat.

“Yep,” the men said.

She wasn’t sure where to start. “I like him,” she admitted. “And I told him I wasn’t ready to promise him anything. He said he’s okay with that. He said he didn’t like to share, so that if either of us decided to get involved with anyone, we’d let the other know.”

“That’s fair,” Jesse said.

“Yeah. He’s…different.” She looked to Leo to find him nodding.