The Strength of the Pack (Suncoast Society #30)(23)

Bollocks.

He really needed to stop doing that.

Especially in front of Cherise.

He couldn’t help it. Yes, when he was a teenager, especially his older teens, talking like he was born in the UK was an asset.

Now, it was annoying, because people wondered if he was from there.

But Cherise could always manage to wind him up.

With a sigh, he took another sip of his coffee before consulting his tablet about his first appointment.





By the time he’d seen his last client of the afternoon he was ready to escape to home.

“You going to the club tonight?” she asked him as she started gathering her things.

“No.”

She turned, scowling. “Oookaaay. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

She set her stuff on the counter. “Are you seriously upset at me over this morning?” But with no snark in her tone.

He took a deep breath and let it out. “No, I’m not upset with you. I’m going to take her out Monday night.”

“That’s good, right?”

“We’re going to take things slow.”

“Ah. Ooohhh.” Still no snark. Even Cherise knew when she’d pushed a little too far. “You really like her and you’re wound tighter than a cheap watch.”

He nodded.

“Sorry, bro.” She hugged him and of course, all was forgiven. No, he couldn’t stay seriously aggravated at her, much less mad.

It wasn’t in him.

Especially not when she was all he had.

“I’ll ease up on the teasing,” she said.

“It’s okay. It’s just been so long since I’ve felt like this and who knows if we’ll even move past the point of friends or not?”

“Remember what you told me when I couldn’t decide whether or not to move in with Wade?”

“Yeah.”

“Do what feels right. If taking things slow feels right, then do it. If she’s worth it, you’ll be glad you did.” She grabbed her stuff and headed toward the door.

“So does he still enjoy taking it up the arse from you, sweets?” he called out, deliberately emphasizing his accent that time.

She flipped him a bird as she reached the door. “Yes, we’re even,” she called back as she headed out.

He grinned. Cherise was definitely a Domme.

In the dungeon…and at home. And while Wade was a competent paramedic, when he was at home with Cherise, he was her doting slave.

Literally.

Nate missed her living at home with him, but he suspected that was more his problem than hers. Yes, they’d butted heads sometimes.

And he’d had more than his fair share of worrying about her in her late teens, before he was finally able to make the breakthrough with her.

That had been an uncomfortable talk with his little sister, but as her “parent,” it had to be done and needed to be him. Finally forcing her to admit why she’d been cutting for months. An activity she thought she’d hidden from him. Why she’d tried to slice her wrists, even though it wasn’t a serious suicide attempt on her part.

The threats that he would drive her to the hospital immediately and Baker Act her if she didn’t tell him, and reciting back the things he knew about her that she thought she’d carefully concealed from him.

Finally getting her to admit she thought there was something wrong with her because, unlike most of her friends who wanted a guy to take care of her, she’d had fantasies of tying guys up and spanking their asses. Or that maybe she was gay. Not that he would have cared if she was gay or not, she was his sister.

Her pain was what concerned him, and being unable to get her to admit it for so long.

His blessed relief to be able to connect with her, even through their mutual discomfort, and open the conversation that finally unblocked her soul and allowed her to cry, to really start to grieve with him for all they’d lost, and to accept that not only did he accept the person she was, but he loved her as well, and was very much like her in his own ways.

Wade was good for her, a good man with a good heart. Cherise was as much his oasis as he was hers.

When they’d first met, Nate had felt the energy between them, nearly visible.

Much like he felt it with Eva.

Wade had confided to him a couple of weeks ago that he was going to propose to her on Christmas Eve and asked if Nate was okay with that.

That Wade asked his permission touched Nate. No, it wasn’t necessary, but just more proof the man was the right person for Cherise.

He headed home, swinging through a carwash on the way. Yes, he wanted to stay home tonight and think about himself, about Eva, about the possibilities.

How to keep himself centered and let her lead him, for now. Until she reached the tipping point where she wanted him to take control. In a healthy way.

Because he sensed she really was the one for him, and he damn sure didn’t want to do anything to screw it up.

Especially not when Tilly would likely hand him his ballocks if he did.





Chapter Ten


Nate had offered Eva a couple of options for Monday night. To drive separately and meet there—which wasn’t her preference. Or to meet at his house and he’d drive from there, or he could pick her up at her house.