Page 42 of Possess

He nodded. “Thank you for sharing with me.”

“I was lucky I met Dani when I was fourteen.” Her lips turned up.

“You’ve been friends a long time.”

“Yes. She was the one who got past my tough kid persona because the other kids would tease me about my parents.” Rumors traveled fast in the area where she grew up in Pleasant Valley. “We became fast friends. I spent a lot of time with Dani and her grandparents.”

“I’m glad you had someone.”

“Yeah. Once I turned eighteen, I left home. Dani’s grandparents let me rent a room, and I went to work and took night classes at the college.”

“How long did you live with Dani’s grandparents?”

“A little over a year. I worked two jobs, studied, and saved everything I could. Dani’s grandmother would feed me and refused to let me pay for food.” She turned her hand over in his. “Once I was able to move out and get a better job, I was able to take more than one night class a semester, but I never forgot what Dani’s grandparents did for me. I still send them things like fruit of the month or other things to repay their kindness.”

“Probably the first genuine warmth you’d had in a while.”

“Yeah.” She hadn’t thought about it that way, but Zeke was right. Dani’s grandparents treated her like she was special not a burden.

“If I remember right, you said you took classes in Urban Planning and Development?”

Allyson’s muscles relaxed in relief. He wasn’t going to question her anymore about her childhood. “I was taking night classes, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.” Her gaze met his. “I kind of fell into it. There was a job fair, and one of the places hiring was the city. I started off in the Building and Code Enforcement department and worked my way through the system in various jobs. My current boss, Wes, hired me in the planning division to handle the front counter.”

“He noticed your problem-solving talent.”

Her jaw dropped open. “How did you know that?”

“I’ve watched you for a long time. You’re good at figuring things out. There are times when I can almost see you working the problem out in your head.”

Allyson bit her lip, then continued. “Wes took me under his wing and mentored me until I was able to become a full inspector.”

“You enjoy your job.”

“I do. It’s fun. I’m not always behind a desk, and like you said, I like solving problems.”

“Good. You mentioned some ex-boyfriends. How long were you in relationships with them?”

She scrunched up her nose. “Nothing beyond a few months, but they weren’t relationships.”

“Okay, I’ve had a few over the past years, but nothing special. Now, here’s the explosive question: What do you think about the lifestyle?”

Allyson met his gaze. There was a little bit of worry there, not that she blamed him. “From my reading, it’s different from what I thought.” She glanced out at the trees, trying to gather her thoughts. “After reading the new romance books and the BDSM book Dani got me, I can see there is so much more to the lifestyle than what I was exposed to at play parties in Seattle.”

He nodded. “Learning from books can be good. Just so you feel safe with the person you decide to play with.”

“I feel safe with you.” It was true. She wouldn’t be in his home talking to him like this if she didn’t. Had she truly felt safe with guys at the parties in Seattle? Nope. Not completely, which was why she had set up a safety system with Dani when she went.

“I’m glad you trust me.”

“How did you get into the lifestyle?” She was curious about him.

“I was eighteen, and while I had a solid upbringing, I wasn’t centered in life.”

When he finished telling her how he got into the lifestyle, she asked, “Tell me about your family.” She craved stories about families that were closer to what she saw on TV or read in books.

“My parents are typical. They have a home in the Laurel neighborhood. And I told you about my younger sister and brother. My brother is in the military, and my sister is studying to become a doctor.”

“Have you always had your own company?”

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