“No. She wasn’t exactly in the mood for congenial introductions.”

  “Then here’s what we need to do. You go home, I’ll clock you a sick day. That’ll give me time to talk to the OR supervisor and see what I can find out that’ll help clear your name.”

  Alessa’s first response was an emphatic no. Leaving would mean Charles had gotten to her, and she didn’t want to give him that satisfaction. But she could tell by Casey’s set face she thought this would be best, for today anyway. Left with no choice, she rose on shaky legs.

  “Okay. Thanks, Casey.”

  She tried not to fret that evening and the next day, but by the time she left to join her friends for their get-together at Sandie’s, two of her fingers throbbed with infected soreness from her nervous habit of pulling on hangnails. Knowing Krista the way she did, Alessa knew her best friend would become suspicious if she didn’t show up tonight without a good reason, so she’d opted to see the evening through instead of lying—even though the last thing she felt like doing was socializing with her happily committed friends. Sean’s three phone calls she’d let go unanswered hadn’t helped her disposition and by the time she arrived at Sandie and Zach’s penthouse apartment downtown, she regretted doing the right thing by not coming up with a false excuse for her absence tonight.

  “It’s about time. You’re the last to arrive.” Sandie stepped back, holding the door open for Alessa with a smile.

  “Sorry. I hope you saved me some wine.” Alessa wanted a drink in the worst way and accepted the glass Krista handed to her when she followed Sandie into the spacious living area where Hope and Julie were already seated.

  “Bad day?” Krista asked, her eyes shadowed with the worry Alessa heard in her voice. Only Master Sean had been able to read her with such accurate astuteness as her friend.

  “Yes, so I’m grateful for this.” She held up the glass then sipped the sweet alcohol with appreciation for the flavor and mild kick.

  “It must be something in the air. This week’s been crappy already for me too,” Hope said. “I’ll spill if you will.”

  “What? Oh, no, that’s okay. You go ahead.” Alessa should’ve known they wouldn’t let her off the hook that easily. After Hope talked about the busted water pipe at the shelter, followed by her new dog Sadie’s allergic reaction to something she ate resulting in an emergency run to a veterinarian, everyone turned to her. “Hey, I can’t beat that,” she tried to joke, but they weren’t going to let her off the hook.

  “Come on, Alessa,” Julie coaxed. “We’ve all pissed and moaned about our problems at one time or another, but you never have. Give.”

  “And I can tell by the two band aids on your fingers you’re upset about something. Plus, you’ve finished that glass in record time, so feel free to complain away,” Krista encouraged her.

  Sometimes, Alessa pondered, it was a pain having such good friends, but in a good way. While she refused to share her grief over what she’d heard from Sean’s father, she could use their moral support with what Charles had done. She looked at Sandie and lifted her empty wine glass. “You pour, and I’ll talk.”

  “Works for me.”

  After Sandie filled her glass, Alessa curled her legs under her, turning to Krista. “Do you remember Dr. Ward, the one that nurse in the elevator said got her transferred out of the OR?”

  “Yes, he’s a jerk. I never did like assisting him when I worked at the hospital.” Krista narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Now what’d he do?”

  All four women expressed outrage when Alessa revealed Charles’s insubordination complaint, and their unquestioning loyalty lit a warm glow inside her. If only talking about the other upsetting occurrence at work could be as helpful, she might get through the split with Master Sean. With Paul’s words still ringing in her head, putting an end to the hopes she’d dared allow herself to feel, she couldn’t bring herself to speak of the end of their relationship.

  “Someone needs to get him off your back, Alessa.” Sandie flicked her gaze to Krista. “Can’t Dax do something? He’s a bigwig at the hospital.”

  “I can ask him—”

  “No,” Alessa interrupted, her throat clogging with emotion at her friends’ outrage on her behalf. “Thank you, but I don’t want to involve anyone else in this. I don’t know what Charles will do next. When I return to work tomorrow, I’ll file a counter complaint, stating harassment. I’m hoping my supervisor will have the name of the nurse he got transferred out of the OR. With her testimony, I think he’ll backtrack on the insubordination charge. At least, that’s what I’m counting on.”

  She’d been on her own for so long before the last few weeks of submitting to Sean. As easy as it would be to let Dax handle Charles, Alessa needed to get back into the swing of not relying on anyone to be there for her. Balls of distress rolled around her abdomen when she thought of moving on without his steady grey eyes to settle her, his commands that left her no choice but to obey and alleviated the stressful task of making decisions alone, and his harsh discipline that showed he cared.

  “If that doesn’t work, let me know.” Krista leaned forward and scooped bean dip onto a Frito chip then said, “In the meantime, are any of you taking part in the charity auction at Chains this Saturday?”

  “What auction?” Julie wanted to know.

  “It’s an annual event. Submissives are auctioned off for the night to the highest bidder and the money goes to Special Olympics. Dax signed us up, promising he’ll outbid anyone else provided I behave.” A mischievous gleam sparkled in Krista’s blue eyes. “I’m tempted to push him on it by not behaving Saturday.”

  Hope shuddered. “I wouldn’t have the nerve to push that man.”

  Sandie laughed. “Of all the guys, Miles is the scariest.”

  Alessa was too busy plotting to get involved in the banter. Maybe the auction would be a good way for her to move on, to get her mind off Master Sean and focused on someone else. She kept quiet about her plans, relieved when Sandie, Hope and Julie all said they couldn’t make the fundraiser. By the time Krista discovered she’d signed up, it would be too late to back out. Odds were, by Saturday, Sean would have told at least Dax they were no longer seeing each other, so that would be one revelation she wouldn’t have to suffer through.

  “What about you, Lessa? Has Sean mentioned it?”

  Pulling her mind back into the conversation, she answered Krista with a shake of her head. “No, not yet.”

  “He did seem possessive the other night,” Hope commented. “He may not want to risk you catching the eye of someone else.”

  Yeah, that’s not it. Julie stood and carried her glass out to the kitchen and Alessa followed her lead with relief. It was definitely time to go.

  SEAN TOSSED his phone onto the desk and swore under his breath in frustration. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Alessa since Sunday when she left his house to get ready for work. After she didn’t answer his calls Monday, he’d been hoping to catch her at the hospital when he visited his dad. When he heard she’d already clocked out, he began to worry. He’d planned to drive over to her bungalow after work yesterday and confront her, but his dad’s insistence on coming home called for his immediate, time-consuming attention. When he couldn’t talk Paul out of it, Aunt Vivian offered to stay with him, make sure he took his daily walks and ate properly, at least for a week or two. By the time Sean had gotten him settled back home and helped Vivian with her things, he knew Alessa was already enjoying the evening with her friends and he’d have to put off reaching her until today.

  But it would help if she’d pick up the fucking phone. Thinking back over the weekend, he recalled the way she embraced his commands and the sex with whole-hearted enthusiasm, so he didn’t believe her silence now was due to anything he’d introduced her to during the few days they spent together at his house.

  He’d never lived with a woman, but the short time he’d invited her into his home had turned out to be the best days he’d ever spent with a submissive. She’d fulfilled every fantasy of obeying his commands and he’d been hoping that meant she’d grown to care for him the way he did her. Picturing the soft wonder crossing Alessa’s face when he brought her to climax, the way her eyes shone at his praise, Sean knew he couldn’t be wrong. Alessa did care, but maybe that was why she was retreating now. Given her insecurities, he imagined the very idea of letting herself fall for him, of risking her heart after all the past disappointments, scared the crap out of her. It was a good thing she had him to calm those fears.

  Sean’s next client arrived and he switched gears back to his job. It wasn’t until late afternoon and he was leaving work intending to drive to St. Vincent’s to confront Alessa where she couldn’t hide from him that his plans changed with a call from Dax.

  “What’s up, bro?” he asked, holding the phone to his ear as he slid behind the wheel.

  “That’s what I want to know.” The bite to Dax’s tone caught Sean off-guard. “Why is Alessa enrolled for the auction at Chains this Saturday when you weren’t planning on attending?”

  “She’s what?” he snapped out in surprise before clenching his jaw in exasperation. Just what was the little minx up to?

  “You heard me. Alessa signed up to be auctioned off for their charity fundraiser, the one you just told me last week you wouldn’t be participating in this year. Look, I don’t want to get involved with whatever is going on with you two, but damn it, Sean, I don’t want her hurt. It’s bad enough she’s having to juggle a problem at work I just heard about today, and that she refused my interference—which I’ll ignore, of course.”

  That last line didn’t surprise Sean and was the only good thing Dax had to tell him. “I don’t intend to hurt her, unless it’s to bend her over and take her to task for this stunt as well as not sharing her work troubles with me. I’ll take care of it, you have my word.” Picturing Alessa on that stage, her lush body put on display then going to a stranger, put Sean’s rare temper on edge. She was his, and it was high time they both came to terms with that. “Are you still planning on bidding on Krista?”

  “Yes, we’ll be there. Maybe Krista can talk Alessa out of participating. She’s still too green to know what she’s getting into with something like this.”

  Dax’s frustration came through the line loud and clear and matched Sean’s. He didn’t know what he’d done to scare Alessa off, or if she was just getting cold feet because of feelings she hadn’t planned for. If this stunt was due to the latter, he could sympathize with her concern given the betrayals from others who had come and gone in her life. But that didn’t mean he would let her get away with running instead of coming to him with her fears.

  “No, don’t have her do that. Let me handle this.” Sean paused a minute, sucked in a deep breath, and bit the bullet. “I love her, Dax. Trust me, okay?”

  “Good to hear, bro. I’ll see you at Chains Saturday.”

  Dax’s quick reply indicated his friend might have noticed where Sean’s feelings were headed before he realized it himself. So much for being the intuitive one among the gang of seven. Instead of confronting Alessa at the hospital, he decided to let her have the next few days to cope by herself before setting her straight come Saturday night.

  Sean pulled into his father’s drive Saturday morning and saw his aunt watering the gardens. At least someone other than himself still cared about his mother’s flowerbeds. Sliding out of the car, he strolled up the walk with a wave when Vivian looked up.

  “Thank you, Aunt Vivian. I try to keep up with the gardens, but don’t always have the time to come by as often as I should.”

  “Yet, they still appear well-tended. Your father is holed up in his lab,” Vivian responded, her voice laced with a fondness Sean reciprocated. Too bad his father hadn’t inherited a touch of his sister’s nurturing nature.

  “So, nothing’s changed. Has he been taking his walks and eating regularly?”

  “When I prod him. No, don’t look like that. I know he frustrates you, and rightly so, but you’ll be happier if you accept him as he is, flaws and all. He’s not going to change.”

  “Yes, Mom’s death proves that, doesn’t it?” Vivian blanched, and Sean blew out a breath of remorse. “Sorry, Vivian. Believe it or not, I have let that go, at least as much as I ever will. I’ll go see if he needs anything.”

  “She would be proud of you. Remember that, Sean.”

  He wasn’t so sure of that, but he let it slide as he entered the house and called out to let his dad know he was there. Since he knew Vivian would have the kitchen well stocked, he found himself pulled to do something he’d refrained from doing for years. Padding over to the picture of him and his mother propped next to her urn in the den, Sean gazed at their happy faces, wondering where the years had gone. He didn’t know if it was due to admitting his feelings for Alessa, or to the scare Paul’s heart attack gave him, but he could no longer suppress the desire to get answers he’d always sworn never mattered.

  “You look just like her, especially your eyes.”

  Sean heard his footsteps behind him but didn’t turn around to greet his father. “I’ll take that as a compliment. She was an attractive woman until the substance abuse took over.”

  “It was meant as one.” Paul moved next to him, the look on his face wistful as he glanced down at the picture Sean held in his hands.

  “Tell me something. What made you finally lower the boom on me when I was fifteen? She’d been gone for three years, and I had been striking out all that time with little response from you.” Sean set the frame back on the shelf, proud he’d kept his voice neutral, free of accusation.

  Sadness flitted across Paul’s face. “You have your aunt to thank. When she heard about you getting expelled then arrested, she told me in blunt terms I’d better do something before I lost you, too. And that, Sean, I just couldn’t bear, no matter you may believe otherwise.”

  Sean didn’t miss the quaver in Paul’s voice, the slight catch responsible for the tight clutch around his chest. “That would’ve been nice to know years ago. Since you’re in the mood to talk, why haven’t you buried Mom’s urn?”

  Surprise widened Paul’s eyes and his gaze flew to the ceramic vase. “I’d have thought you could figure that one out. I need it here as a reminder of what I lost, of how I failed the one time it was most important I succeed.” He reached up an arthritic hand and caressed the fancy swirls decorating the urn before dropping his arm with a sigh. “I have to get back to work. Thank you for stopping by.”

  “Dad,” Sean called after him, his throat clogged with emotion. “You and I, we’re good, just so you know.”

  A smile softened Paul’s lined face and his eyes turned wet, but he just nodded and walked out of the room. Sean knew he’d likely forget their whole conversation by the time he reached his home lab, but that was all right. He would remember. Now, there was one other person Sean needed to get answers from, then set right, and he was looking forward to doing just that in a few hours.

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE you’re doing this,” Krista grumbled. “Does Sean know?”

  Alessa jerked from the sharp pang at hearing Sean’s name, glancing away from the accusation in Krista’s eyes. Dax’s un-asked for interference with Charles’ harassment resulted in Dr. Ward having his hospital privileges revoked yesterday, ending the week on a high note until her insecurities had kicked in first thing this morning. With them came all the reasons why she shouldn’t be going through with this auction tonight. The small room was crowded with the girls who had signed up to take part in Chains’ charity, all appearing to wait with barely suppressed excitement for their turn on stage. All except her. The longer she sat there, wearing nothing but a baby doll see-through nightie and thong, the more she dreaded walking out there and facing a room full of strangers whose only interest in her was the limits she’d written on her card.

  “I told you, we’re not seeing each other anymore,” she reminded Krista. And, since he’d made no attempt to contact her since Wednesday, she doubted he would care what her plans were tonight. Apparently, Sean’s father had been right.

  “And you won’t tell me why,” Krista prodded.

  “Must I remind you again he was only doing me a favor by introducing me to the lifestyle? There isn’t anything else between us. You should believe me.”

  “Oh, I believe you think that, but remember, I saw the way Master Sean looked at you both times we played together on the yacht. You refuse to believe me. Crap, there’s my call.” Krista reached over and squeezed her hand. “If you’re not sure about this, don’t go through with it. Promise me, Lessa.”

  Alessa nodded. “I won’t, I promise. Now go. I’m sure Master Dax is chomping at the bit to haul you out of here.” She watched Krista scamper onto the stage before the door shut again, leaving her to feel more alone than ever.

  Sean’s silence following his last stab at calling her three days ago hurt more than hearing his father say he would never allow himself to care for her. Like driving the last nail in a coffin, the quick way he’d withdrawn from her life buried the last of her hopes he might track her down, refuse to accept her silence and show he wanted more than the temporary arrangement they’d first started. Why had she allowed herself to fall in love? Maybe it wasn’t love. That was one emotion she possessed little experience with, her feelings for Krista coming the closest. Maybe she only relished his control, and the ‘off the charts’ climaxes he could induce. Then she recalled the warm sensation that had nothing to do with sex that his probing, intent looks could evoke, the way he had taken care of her when she’d been so sick with cramps and how his over-protectiveness extended to simple matters, such as driving home late from work.

  Tears welled and she blinked to hold them back. She didn’t want to spend the evening with another stranger or go back to the sub scene; she wanted what she couldn’t have. Master Sean. The next girl skipped out onto the stage and Alessa cringed at the raucous round of applause. She pictured Krista with Master Dax and knew she couldn’t go out there and settle for less now. With a quick word to the bouncer outside the door, she left through the back door and went down the stairs along the side of the stage, praying no one noticed her slithering away like the coward she was.