Page 10 of The Reluctant Siren
The closer he got to really knowing her, the more he thoughtJensen might be said asshole. But his best friend had his own issues. It washard for Jensen to trust anyone. It was definitely hard for him to trust thatanything in his world would work out for the best.
“I agree, and I genuinely think she’s starting to get overit,” Gabe said. “I think watching our friends finally find the right woman forthem has her thinking.”
“You’re talking about the cowboys?” Josh Barnes-Fleetwoodand his best friend Grim didn’t play often at The Hideout. They were closer toAustin than Dallas, but he knew Harlow had recently attended their engagementparty.
“Yes. Josh and Grim and Nicole. You know she almost askedyou to be her plus one.” Gabe sat back.
It was a night for news. “She did?”
Gabe gave him a nod. “Yeah, and then you mentioned you weregoing out of town that weekend.”
“I would have changed my plans.” He had met Jensen in FortWorth to give him some research he’d found. And to check on him. To make surehe wasn’t too far gone.
They’d talked about Harlow when they weren’t discussing thecase. Jensen wanted every story, every detail about her life without him.
“I might have mentioned that you should have the choice, butshe needed more time,” Gabe replied. “So are you going to say yes?”
He shouldn’t. They were in a perfect position right now. Hecould watch over her. Club gossip would reveal anything serious. He didn’t haveto put himself in temptation’s way. Going undercover with her… It was a badidea.
Or maybe it was time to think about what the world lookedlike on the other side of Jensen’s revenge.
He only saw two possibilities. One—he does what he meant todo and kills Hamilton and gets away with it and tries to get Harlow back.Two—Hamilton kills him.
There was a third. Jensen kills Hamilton and doesn’t getaway with it. He goes to jail.
Two out of three of those possibilities left Harlow alone.And the other he wasn’t sure would work. Jensen loved her but he wasn’t good atgroveling, and that is what she would need. She wouldn’t melt for him andforgive what he’d done.
Since they met in the second grade, Niall had softenedJensen. He calmed his friend and smoothed things over. Jensen made sure anyonewho fucked with them never did it twice. It had been an excellent partnership.
But partnerships changed. “I’m going to say yes, but I worryshe’ll want a family like her own.”
A brow rose over Gabe’s eyes. “You hiding a brother?”
“I might have a friend I’m close to.” It was the first timehe’d even come close to saying the words out loud. To tiptoeing around them outloud. What he wanted.
At first he’d thought he was completely fucked because he’dfallen hard for his best friend’s girl. Then he’d called himself an assholesince she was her own person and Jensen had been an asshole to her, so shedidn’t belong to him. He’d spent a couple of weeks mentally justifying runningaway with the woman his best friend was hopelessly in love with because onlyone of them could have her.
Then he watched a threesome work their magic on the dungeonfloor one night. Two men. One woman. Best friends and the woman they loved allof their lives. They were married now and happy. Just recently some of Harlow’sfriends had come into town. Again, two best friends and the woman they shared.Half the damn members had two dads and a mom.
He wanted that life.
“Is he in the lifestyle? Because I’m afraid Harlow willrequire that kind of relationship. A soft one, of course. She’s extremelyindependent. She needs…” Gabe began.
He knew exactly what she needed. “A soft top to gently steerher into self-care and relaxation because she overthinks everything. She’sexcellent at what she does but she can get lost in it. She needs someone tomake sure she takes care of herself. And she needs a harder top to put his footdown when she goes too far, and she will. She’ll put herself in dangeroussituations. She needs a harder top for sex because it’s hard for her to giveherself permission to enjoy it. It has nothing to do with how she was raised orsome trauma in her background. It’s simply how she’s wired, and a Dominantpartner can give her that.”
Gabe looked at him like he was pleased at the words. “Andwhich role would you fill?”
“Oh, we both know I’m the soft top. It’s why all the subswho need a cuddle come my way. I can spank an ass and I enjoy it, but I holdback on the truly hard stuff and I’ll probably give in when I shouldn’t.”
“You are far more self-aware than I thought you would be.Excellent. You’ve given this thought because you’re interested.”
“Very interested. Gabe, I’ve been biding my time. She’s theonly sub I’m truly interested in, but I worry her trust issues are going to behard to deal with.”
Gabe stood and stretched, seemingly more comfortable than hewas before. “You’ll figure it out, and hopefully this friend of yours can seehow amazing our Harlow is. Is there a reason you haven’t brought him by?”
“He doesn’t live in town.” A lie but a necessary one. “Buthe’s thinking about moving here. He doesn’t have a lot of family. I’m prettymuch it now. And yes, he’s in the lifestyle. He’s the one who introduced me.He’s a good Dom.”
“I’ll need to see that for myself.” Gabriel Lodge had pitchblack hair he kept longish. He tied it in a queue when he was working, but nowit brushed the tops of his broad shoulders. He was a leopard who led his packwith ruthless precision. There was no question he was the head of his half ofThe Hideout. “Until he’s ready, are you going to take care of her? I think hernew case is a missing persons, so she’s going undercover to ask some questions.You’re ex-military.”
