Page 39 of Brooke's Bliss
He pointed the truck toward Harper Stables and let go ofeverything except his good news.For once the world was looking up.
Chapter Six
“So you’re moving in with the new guys out on the G?”Gemma asked after handing the server the elegant menus.
Brooke sat in the smaller of the two restaurants at the ElkCreek Lodge.She was happy Gemma had chosen the lodge over Stella’s since shewas sure the Bliss grapevine had been working overtime.Obviously since Gemmaalready knew.“I suppose I am.It’s better than the house my brothers built forme.I bet they bugged it or something.”
Gemma winced.“So you found out about the PI?”
“Does everyone know?”
The blonde shrugged as though sayingwell, it is Bliss.“I think it’s only your brothers’ friend circle, which happens to include myboss.You know for a manly dude, Nate is a gossipy motherfucker.I swear Calliecalled and he walked right out to fill in me and Elisa.He called Cam, too.Anyway, that’s why I changed our lunch location.If you walk into Stella’sright now, you’re going to have a lot of questions to answer.If it helps atall, I know Max and Rye were worried about you.”
“Then they should have talked to me.”
“That can be hard for guys.Speaking of, where are yours?”
They weren’t hers.They were pretending to be hers so shecould save the smallest amount of face.“They dropped me off and then they’reheading back to the G for the day.We’re staying in the foreman’s house.Bo ispretty much the foreman, so he doesn’t need it.All the hands they have rightnow are single, so they’re out in the bunkhouse.”
Gemma’s eyes lit with mirth.“Yeah, I’ve visited theforeman’s house a couple of times when mydommiestguy gets a hankering to tie me up.”She winced.“Sorry.That’s too muchinformation.I’m trying to curb that.”
Brooke leaned in.The last thing she needed was a Gemma whodidn’t tell it like it was.Gemma was brutally honest, and she needed thatright now.No coddling.“Don’t.I actually have questions, and I can’t exactlyask my sister-in-law.I’m pretty sure they spend a lot of time in Stef’splayroom.”
Gemma chuckled.“Oh, yes.They have definitely played aroundwith all the lifestyles.”And then she went a bit red.“Again with the sorry.”
Brooke felt her jaw tense.“I’m not a child.”
Gemma studied her for a moment as though reassessing thesituation.“No, you’re not, but they treat you like one.I’m actually sorry forthat part, not the rest.I guess I’ve spent years hearing about how sweet andinnocent you are, but sometimes the wordinnocenceis just a way tomarginalize us.”
“As Britney would say, not that innocent, and I havequestions.”
Gemma grinned brightly.“Then consider me your BDSM auntie.Although you should know Jesse and Cade are more on the D/s side.So are youasking specific questions about the lifestyle or do you want to know what Iknow about the Kent brothers?”
Brooke let out a deep breath.At least one person got whatshe needed.“All of the things, but start with what you know.”
“They’ve played a lot both in Stef’s private playroom and ina couple of the clubs Stef belongs to.Stef has been Bay’s…sponsor, Isuppose…for a long time.I don’t even know how they met, but Stef believes Bayis an incredibly talented artist, and I’ve seen his work and know he’s right.If that boy wanted to, he could make a lot of money as an artist.”
“I don’t think he would like how he would have to do it.”She’d spent all of a night and half a day with the man and she already knew hewouldn’t be able to handle all the bullshit that would come with cracking theartistic world.“He would never be able to kiss ass the way he would need to.”
Gemma nodded.“I agree, but I don’t think becoming thecenter of an artistic world is a goal of Bay’s.I think he’s that artist whoactually loves art and working.I actually find him kind of fascinating.Shaneas well.They’ve got that ‘broken parts that make a whole’ kind of vibe.”
She got that, too.In that fashion they reminded her of herbrothers.Shane and Bay needed each other in a way a lot of siblings didn’t,but they hadn’t exactly exchanged life histories.
And should they?She wasn’t going to stay, and they wouldnever be able to live in the city.So why was she pursuing this?Why was shepretending she was engaged?It was so dumb.
“Does that scare you?”Gemma asked.
“Not really.There are so many other things that scare me.”
Gemma leaned in.“Like how you reacted to them?On a sexuallevel?Was it the first time you played around with Dominance and submission?”
“Yes.”It felt better to talk about this part.This part wasway more about her than them.“I liked it.I felt freer than I’ve ever felt inmy life, and I started the whole thing to make myself feel better.It wassupposed to be a little sex with some completely hot but inappropriate cowboys,and now I’m somehow living with them and I can’t stop thinking about lastnight.It was more than I bargained for.”
“What did you like about it?”Gemma asked softly, and therewas not an ounce of judgment in the question.
How to explain it?“I didn’t have to think about anythingexcept what they were doing to me.I…it’s like my brain shut down, and it’salways going.Always.For the time I was with them I didn’t think about how mylife is falling apart or how everything’s my fault.It’s almost like a breakfrom life because for once I wasn’t in control.Shouldn’t that scare me?”
Gemma’s head shook.“Only if the partners you’re submittingto aren’t worthy of trust, and I don’t think that’s the case with Shane andBay.You know Beth and Hope are my girls.We have our girl gangs in Bliss.LikeRachel and Callie and Jen.Or Laura and Holly and Nell.It’s me and Hope andBeth, which means I spend a lot of time out on the G.I sometimes wonder whatmy younger self would say if I told her one day a cattle ranch will be whereyou spend your free time.”
