One to Keep

googled her in the past, but he’d imagined her as happy and working.

  “Three husbands?”

  His father held his hand up, indicating the number four. “Don’t

  forget me. I was the first. Her current victim is a very nice retired

  lawyer.”

  Stef felt the foundation of his world shift a bit. “How would you

  know? Are you telling me you kept tabs on her?”

  “Not exactly. She contacted me a while back. I think it was right

  after she tried to get in touch with you and you rebuffed her.”

  Stef felt his face harden. He hadn’t rebuffed the woman. He

  hadn’t done anything at all. He’d simply not responded. He’d thought

  she’d taken the hint.

  His father’s hand came out to pat his shoulder like he had when

  Stef had been a child. “You’re her only child, Stefan. She realized she wasn’t maternal, so she was careful. But as you get older, you feel the need to reach out, to make things right. She backed off because she

  didn’t want to hurt you more than she had. I had lunch with her, and

  we’ve become quite good friends. Stefan, I wish you would talk to

  her, but I understand it’s hard for you.”

  A nasty little suspicion seized Stef’s gut. “Did she know you were

  sick?”

  His father’s face flushed. “Yes.”

  “But you didn’t think to tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.” He shook his head. “I was afraid,

  Stefan. I was afraid it wouldn’t worry you at all. I was afraid it

  wouldn’t mean anything to you. It’s recently come to my attention

  that I’ve been a coward most of my life. I should have called you, but

  One to Keep

  187

  I didn’t. Getting on that plane was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, son.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I had to face the worst mistake I ever made.”

  Now Stef was the one flushing. Well, he’d always known that was

  true.

  His father reached for him. “You’re not understanding me. It

  wasn’t a mistake to marry your mother or to have you. My mistake

  was in leaving you behind. Stefan, I should never have allowed us to

  be separated.”

  “I didn’t want to leave. I needed this place. I was happy here, so

  you don’t have to feel guilty.” He couldn’t imagine what his life

  would have been like if he’d been forced to move to Dallas. He

  glanced at Nate, who was talking to his deputy, his eyes never

  straying far from the man in the cell. Nate had grown up in that world.

  Nate had taken years to accept who he was. He’d tried to fit into

  society’s version of normal. He’d almost lost Callie in the process.

  No, he wasn’t angry with his father for letting him stay in Bliss.

  He was angry with his father because he hadn’t stayed with him.

  The revelation hit him straight in the gut.

  He was angry, brutally angry, with his father. All the years of

  telling himself that he’d built his own family and didn’t need anything from the man had been lies. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his pieced-together family. He did. But he’d needed his dad. He’d needed to

  know that someone with his blood wanted him for something besides

  convenient proof that he could procreate.

  Stef looked down, and his hands were shaking.

  “Son, I deserve everything you’re thinking right now, but I’m

  asking you to hear me out.”

  Stef stood abruptly. The room seemed to be closing in on him. His

  father scrambled to get up as well, but Stef moved across the room

  from him. He couldn’t do this right now. He had too much going

  through his brain. Everything his father had said reinforced his belief

  188

  Sophie Oak

  that he was doing the right thing for Jennifer, but the fact that she

  would soon be gone made him sick. He hadn’t had enough time with

  her, and he couldn’t allow himself any more. If he did, he’d take over her life. He’d mold her into something she wasn’t.

  “Stef?”

  A soft hand on his arm brought him back to the real world.

  Jennifer looked up at him, her eyes soft and filled with concern. When he focused on her, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around

  him as though she could read his need to be close to her. Without

  hesitation, he took the comfort she offered, reveling in the way she

  felt in his arms.

  “I’d like to go home, love.”

  He felt her head nod as she squeezed him close.

  “You keep an eye on her, Stef,” Nate said, standing up and

  walking across the room. His hand came out.

  Stef adjusted Jennifer so she was firmly at his side as he shook

  Nate’s hand. “I will.”

  He slid his hand into hers and led her out.

  If he was going to lose her soon, he didn’t want to waste a

  moment on anything as insignificant as the man who had left him

  behind.

  “Stefan.” His father’s voice called out.

  Stef walked out the door.

  One to Keep

  189

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jen wasn’t sure what had happened with Stef and his dad, but she

  knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was her job to calm him

  down. If she allowed him to, he would withdraw, pretending that

  there was absolutely nothing wrong. He would more than likely tell

  her that he wanted to work or some such nonsense and leave her alone

  for the rest of the evening.

  That was not going to happen.

  Stef pulled his Land Rover into the long drive that led to his house

  just as the sun was going down. He’d said very little since he’d asked Max to give his father a ride back when he was ready. Other than that, he’d concentrated on the road. His hands had been perfectly steady on

  the wheel, but she couldn’t forget the moment when she’d seen them

  shake. Stef out of control made her heart hurt. It was the one thing she knew he couldn’t handle.

  She knew exactly how to give control back to him.

  He put the SUV in park and shut off the engine. Jen got out before

  he could say a word. Though she was right in front of the door that

  led into the house, she walked around the vehicle. She wasn’t going

  into the house.

  “Jennifer?”

  She turned slightly and stared at the deliciously masculine sight he

  made. He was lit from behind by the setting sun. He looked every

  inch the rough-and-tumble cowboy in Levi’s, boots, and a somewhat-

  battered Stetson. He looked far from the immaculate man he often

  presented himself as. She realized looking at him, heart racing at how beautiful he was, that she loved all of Stef. She loved the wickedly

  190

  Sophie Oak

  decadent artist and the doggedly loyal small-town boy. She adored the

  perverted Dom. He was all of those things, and she wouldn’t have

  him any other way.

  “I love you, Stef.”

  His boots suddenly became very intriguing, it seemed. He stared

  down at them for a moment.

  Though her heart clenched at his silence, she realized something

  else. In the end, she couldn’t control whether or not he loved her. She couldn’t force him to see how good they could be together if he didn’t want to. She could bluster and batter him with attention-seeking


  behavior, but in the end, he would decide whether or not he was brave

  enough to take the chance. All she had control over was how much

  she loved him. It wasn’t such a selfish thing. Her love suddenly

  seemed vast and warm and giving.

  “Don’t cry.”

  She hadn’t been aware she was, but she felt it now. It wasn’t sad.

  It was simply the acknowledgement of overwhelming emotion. She

  loved, and suddenly she was a better person for it. She was larger than she’d been just moments before.

  “I love you.” There was no hesitation in the words. They were

  strong and proud. Her love was worth something. He might deny it,

  but she wouldn’t.

  “I…that means a lot to me.” His words were oddly faltering, as

  though foreign to his tongue.

  She wouldn’t push him, but she could help him. “Then come to

  the guesthouse with me. I want to play, Stef.”

  His eyes flared. “You want to play? Jennifer, I don’t know if

  that’s a good idea. I’m not exactly calm and in control.”

  “But you will be.” She turned and started to walk toward the

  guesthouse. This was how he could get his control back. This was the

  gift she could give him.

  He caught up to her in an instant. “You’re topping from the

  bottom.”

  One to Keep

  191

  The outrage in the accusation made her smile. “Isn’t that what

  every smart sub does?”

  He frowned before a laugh huffed from his chest. “You’re going

  to kill me, Jennifer.”

  He leaned over and gently pushed his shoulder into her

  midsection, picking her up in a fireman’s hold.

  “Hey!” The world went topsy-turvy, and then she felt a sharp slap

  to her ass.

  “Hush, sub. You want to play? I want to play, too. But we’re at

  least going to pretend I have some control. When we go into that

  guesthouse, you treat it like a dungeon. I’m the Master. You’re the

  pretty slave who’ll do anything to please me.”

  And that was different how? She didn’t argue with him, though.

  She was already getting hot at the thought of playing with Master

  Stefan. “Yes, Stef.”

  “What will please me, slave?”

  She loved the way his voice went deep and rich, like dark

  chocolate. “My submission.”

  “No clothes are allowed in my dungeon.”

  He set her on her feet and pulled out the key. He quickly opened

  the door and allowed her to enter. Jen felt her shoes sink into the thick carpet. The door closed behind her, and when she turned, Stef was

  staring at her, his face as hard as granite.

  “I’m waiting, Jennifer.”

  She certainly didn’t feel the cold now. She shrugged out of her

  coat and handed it to him to hang. With deliberate movements, she

  took off her clothes. Where the afternoon had been a flurry of passion, this was measured, and a level of anticipation permeated the room.

  She felt almost drugged by it. She slid her hands under the waistband

  of her jeans and pushed them down her legs.

  “Poor darling,” Stef said with silky sympathy. “You had to wear

  your plug all day. Is my slave’s ass sore?”

  192

  Sophie Oak

  “I can handle it, Stefan.” She smiled at him in genuine pleasure.

  There wasn’t a hint of his earlier worry and panic. He was utterly and completely focused on her now. He was in control.

  “Turn around and lean over the couch. It’s time to take it out. I

  have more interesting things to shove up your ass than a piece of

  plastic.”

  His cock was making his jeans bulge. While she’d been

  undressing, he’d done the same. He was down to his jeans, his

  perfectly cut chest making her mouth water. She wondered what he

  looked like in his leathers. More than likely, a lot like he did now. He was an intimidating, lean presence. Jen took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and walked to the couch with what she hoped passed for

  grace. She placed her hands on the arm and leaned over, presenting

  her ass to her Master.

  “Nicely done, love,” Stef purred.

  Jen shivered just a bit as his hands traced her back.

  “You’ve studied up. I can see that. I wonder how much you’re

  prepared for. I wonder how much you can take.”

  “I can take just about anything except the part where you get me

  riled up and walk away.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, I can see where that would be difficult for

  you. How about I promise you that I won’t ever leave you

  unsatisfied? But your satisfaction, when we’re playing, comes at my

  discretion. If I choose to torture my slave for hours on end, that is my decision.”

  “I don’t know how much I like the sound of that, Stef.”

  He smacked her ass, causing every nerve in her rectum to come

  alive with a jittery pleasure. “Yes or no? We can go back to the house and have very nice, vanilla sex. I’m all right with that, love. I really am. We can have vanilla sex and go to sleep wrapped in each other’s

  arms. Or I can tie you up, spank your sweet ass, and torture you with

  vibrators and other nasty toys. I can lick every inch of your body. I

  can devour your pussy while I shove my finger up your anus. And I

  One to Keep

  193

  can fuck that ass, love. I’m going to ream it until you don’t remember a time I wasn’t balls-deep inside you. Really, it’s your choice.”

  He punctuated his speech by running his tongue down her spine to

  the place he’d promised to fuck. It was delicious and dark and dirty,

  and Jen felt her pussy clench in response.

  “Oh, Stef, I want to play.” Her hands tightened on the couch

  because if she didn’t hold on, she would fall. He was turning her into a quivering mass of desire. “Please play with me.”

  She felt him get to his knees behind her. He playfully nipped at

  her butt cheeks. “I’ll play, love. Have I mentioned how pretty your

  asshole is?”

  She laughed a little. It wasn’t a compliment she heard often, but

  Stef said it like he was talking about her hair or telling her how nice she looked in a new blouse. He left absolutely no room for shame.

  “Thank you.”

  “I like to look at it.” He pulled her cheeks apart.

  “You’re not painting my asshole, Stef.” She had her limits.

  “I don’t see why not. I wouldn’t sell it, of course. But it is a work

  of art. I could do a whole series of paintings featuring your pink parts.

  I love your anus and your pussy.” His hand slid up to where she was

  already wet and wanting. “I definitely love your clit. I like to rub it and suck on it until it pokes out of its little hood and begs for my

  attention.”

  Jen gasped. Her clit was probably doing that right this second

  because he was rubbing her in the sweetest way. He pressed on her

  clit and lessened the pressure, running a circle around the nub before pressing again. It lit a fire that spread from the apex of her thighs, crawling along her skin.

  He pulled his hand away.

  “Hey, I was enjoying that.”

  “And I’ll enjoy this, brat.” He pressed her down, forcing her

  midsection over the arm of the sofa. His hand slapped at her ass in ten

  194

  Sophie Oak br />
  quick, harsh licks, each one a shocking heat on her flesh. “Don’t talk to me that way when we’re playing.”

  “Yes, Stefan.” She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out, but

  even as she did he was smoothing his hand across her skin, the pain

  morphing into pleasure.

  He slid his hand between her cheeks and pulled on the plug. It slid

  from her anus, leaving her strangely empty. He almost immediately

  pressed a finger in.

  “Tight. You’re still going to be tight, love, but you can take me.”

  He groaned as he pressed deep, rotating his finger. He moved in

  between her legs, taking up all the space. “No one’s had your ass,

  have they?”

  “No, Stefan.” She never even dreamed she’d want anyone to take

  her there, but she couldn’t imagine not sharing the intimacy with Stef.

  He’d invaded every inch of her soul. She wanted him to have all of

  her body, too.

  “Excellent.” He pulled his finger out and backed away. “Go into

  the bedroom, love. I’ll be along in a moment. There are some toys I

  need.”

  He steadied her when she got back on her feet. Every nerve and

  pore in her body seemed open and aware of his presence. His lips

  curled in a decadent grin as he looked down at her.

  “Toys? Dare I ask?” She probably didn’t want to know. He was a

  veritable pervertopedia when it came to toys. He knew how to use

  them all to great advantage.

  “No office supplies this time, love. We’re in my dungeon. I have

  every luxury imaginable.” He suddenly frowned. “Unless my father

  threw it out.”

  She stifled a laugh. “I doubt it.” She went on her toes and pressed

  a kiss to his lips. “I’ll be waiting.”

  On wobbly feet, she made her way to the bedroom. Callie had

  pointed it out when she’d given her a secret tour of the guesthouse.

  She’d gone into salacious detail of what went on, though at the time

  One to Keep

  195

  she hadn’t played here herself. Jen had the feeling Nate and Zane had

  probably fixed that situation. She knew that Max and Rye had an open

  invitation. She entered the bedroom and wondered if there was a sign-

  up sheet. It might be awkward if the room was already occupied.