Page 73 of Healing the Heart

He consulted at the hospital and kept limited office hours, things he could do while she was at work. But he didn’t pick up any extra duties for Rossi, SVI, or volunteer to DM at the club while assigned to protect her. They played, working on her BDSM to-do list, and also to take her mind off the crazy man still on the loose.

Being half naked in the playroom got easier each time. Only half because Noah was still taking it slow. He still left her panties in place, and except for getting her off in front of the crowd, he hadn’t taken her in public yet. It happened all around them, and she wouldn’t have needed her safewords.

She felt ready and told him so. But he wasn’t willing to sacrifice her progress.

“Good to know I have the green light, kitten,” he’d told her. “That leaves when up to me to decide.” He caught her chinand angled her face to his. “That’s how these D/s things usually work.”

“Of course, sir,” she replied dutifully. “You’re in charge.”

But she hoped he didn’t wait too much longer. She wanted to prove to him, as much as to herself, she’d gotten beyond her fear of public scenes. Sure, she was eager for a warm subbie blanket to snuggle into and hide behind afterward, but in the heat of the moment, and leading up to it, with Noah’s desire-filled gaze on her, she didn’t care in the least.

The highlight of her club visits would always be her time with Noah, but a close second came after the scenes were done—stopping by the lounge. Invariably, one of Noah’s Rossi buddies was at a table with his submissive. Several were married couples, Val with Eric, Esme and Keiran, and a pair from out of town, Commander Flynn Dalton—such a kick-ass name—up from Coronado with his wife Cassie, a civilian who also worked on the base.

The group—owners and patrons, doms and subs, and good friends—shared a comradery she envied. She enjoyed listening to their good-natured banter, not only the men with one another but the subs who seemed to know just how far they could push their dominant men.

Fiona became more at ease as the group welcomed her in. They represented the promise of something she hadn’t had enough of in her life—girlfriends.

And always a constant was Noah. If she didn’t have a madman with a grudge out to get her, life would be pretty close to perfection. That alone should have set off a blaring alarm in her head. Never had her life come anywhere near perfect. But as soon as it sounded, she switched it off, unwilling to consider what else could go wrong, and probably would, derailing her chance at happiness like it always did.

Chapter 19

A Birthday Surprise

ROUSED FROM HER SLEEPbefore she was ready, Fiona pried open one still-drowsy eye. Instead of the bright sunlight that usually greeted her in the morning, a gloomy grayness seeped through the partially closed curtains. The distant rumble of thunder accompanied the patter of rain against the windowpanes. She rolled over determined to go back to sleep and continue her peaceful dream, but when she closed her eyes, the fading details slipped away like sand through her fingers.

She sat up, scanning the room for signs of Noah. Finding none, she threw back the covers. As the aroma of something tantalizing wafted in from the kitchen, she inhaled. Was that bacon? And pancakes? Her mouth watered, and her stomach growled in anticipation as she reached for Noah’s shirt thrown over the back of a chair the night before. It wasn’t warm from his body, but it smelled of him, even more delicious than what was coming from the kitchen. She did up the buttons, leaving two open at the throat, and rolled the too-long sleeves up past her wrists.

On the way out the door, Fiona glanced at the clock. Despite the soreness left behind from an enthusiastic hour-long session with him last night, she smiled and undid a couple more buttons, revealing a generous amount of cleavage. They didn’t have timefor a repeat of last night, but a mini-session was certainly doable. With that notion stirring and warming her body, she took off on bare feet to find him.

Out in the hall, she smiled again. She didn’t have to let her nose lead the way; her ears could do it. She heard sizzling and the wonderful off-key sound of Noah whistling.

When she arrived in the doorway, she leaned against the jamb and simply took in the view. He was daring to fry bacon without a shirt, but it gave her a chance to admire his broad shoulders, lean waist, and the play of muscles in his back as he tended the stove. His pajama pants caught her attention next. Riding low on his hips, they revealed a pair of dimples on either side of his spine, right above the waistband. A sight to behold, he sent a shiver of desire coursing through her.

She must have made a noise—an involuntary sigh or a hungry moan—because he turned and looked at her. His eyes swept her face before gliding down her body. By the time they returned and locked with hers, a playful twinkle danced within them. A warm flush crept into her cheeks, not from any sense of embarrassment. But because she’d grown accustomed to his scrutiny and finally accepted that he genuinely liked what he saw.

“You’re up,” he said, stating the obvious.

“You sound disappointed.”

As he moved toward her, he waved at a tray on the table, set with a plate, silverware, napkins, a glass of orange juice, and a solitary pink rose in a bud vase.

“I was going to serve you breakfast in bed.” He pulled her into his arms, smiling down at her. “Happy Birthday, beautiful.”

Tears welled up. At the incredibly sweet gesture, but also in surprise. Her birthday slipped by unnoticed year after year, and she hadn’t even realized what day it was.

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