Page 37 of Sweet Surrender
“You’ve both had a very emotional morning, so we won’t try any exercises today as I think you’re both a little too raw for them right now. But you can do them as homework, over the next day or two,” Justine said. Taylor rolled her eyes.Homework? Yuck.
“If you want this to work then you need to work at it. Neither of you is afraid of hard work so put the effort in. I’ll start with something simple, an eye gazing exercise.”
Taylor scrunched her nose up. “Eye gazing?”
“Yes. Eye gazing is a simple but very intimate practice. Your eyes are your most expressive feature, you communicate a number of emotions and social cues through them. They’re the window to your soul and maintaining eye contact builds intimacy and trust. You need to sit close together, embracing is always best but it’s not necessary, and stare into each other’s eyes for five minutes.”
“That’s it? That’s easy enough,” Taylor scoffed.
“Then you’ll be surprised. I think we should leave it there for the day unless either of you want to discuss anything?” Justine asked. When neither of them had anything, she continued. “Are you okay to leave together?”
Beau glanced over his shoulder at Taylor, his expression unreadable. She nodded at him, then he nodded at Justine in confirmation. When they stepped outside Justine’s office, she pulled Taylor into her arms and squeezed her fiercely.
“I’m so sorry,mi corazón.I would have supported you, always. Please tell me you know this?” Justine whispered, then pulled back, peering into her eyes.
“I know, I was just too scared,” Taylor replied and kissed her friend’s cheek. Justine nodded and squeezed her again before she moved to Beau and enveloped him in another bone-crushing hug. She saw Justine whispering in his ear but couldn’t make out what she was saying.
“I’m here for you both, as your friend and your psychologist,” she said, glancing between the two of them.
They both thanked her then they were getting in the car and heading back to the bar. The air between them thick and heavy, but it wasn’t hostile.
“I meant it,” Beau said, the first to break the silence. “I will do whatever this takes. Let me make this up to you.”
“Beau, I told you, I should never have blamed you and I’m sorry I did. It was never your fault. You don’t need to make anything up to me.”
His jaw clenched at her words but he didn’t say anything more. She just wanted to move forward now. Didn’t want to be dictated to by past hurt and resentment.
Only now, she didn’t know how to act around him. She was feeling more awkward by the minute at the thought of what faced them. She wore her snark and spite as armor to keep him at arm’s length with her hurt always burning inside her, keeping her warm. Her walls were used to being up too, to guard her. Now, what the fuck did she do around him?
They pulled into the parking lot of the bar and as she headed towards her cabin, he took the lead.
“Let me go in first,” he said, taking the keys from her hand. She didn’t bother arguing with him, not when alpha-mode had been engaged. Normally she would be rolling her eyes over an unnecessary display of male dominance. Only from him she didn’t mind so much, she knew it came from a good place. He unlocked the door and swung it open wide. When there was no movement from inside the cabin, he gestured for her to enter and headed off to scout her bedroom.
She sighed deeply, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter.What a morning.
“Taylor, did you do this?” he called from her bedroom.
“Do what?”
He was standing by the bed, pointing at her pillows. She looked down and saw her panties laid out across her pillow. Her stomach dipped. Dale had been inside again while they were out. The realization that he was watching them had nausea burning her throat.
“I take it you didn’t do this?” he asked.
“What do you think?” she sassed, trying to cover up her fear, not wanting Beau to see how upset she was. Beau’s fists balled as his sides.
“I think that sick fuck is playing a game with us,” he said, snatching up the displayed underwear and waving them around. “But we’re gonna show him. Let me call Blake and we need to get a locksmith out here, now!”
The sight of her lacy panties fisted in his giant hands made her squirm. She made a discreet grab for them but he moved his hands out the way. He took out his phone and called Blake, updating him on what had happened.
“Oh, he says she gave him a key, huh?” Beau said, facing her. She shook her head and made another grab for the panties.Why was he still holding them?
“No, she didn’t give him a key, the lying bastard. Yeah, we’ll get a locksmith out now,” he said into the phone. They spoke for a few more minutes while she made ineffectual grabs for the panties, her cheeks flushing. Beau gestured so much when he talked, when had that started? Was he doing it on purpose? When he finally ended the call, she tried again.
“Beau, can I-”
His attention was elsewhere. “What’s that?” he asked, heading into her bathroom.
“Beau!” she snapped. “Can I please have my panties back?” She held out her hand. He looked at her, then down at his hand, a sly smile creeping onto his face.
