Trev stood in front of her. He didn’t move a muscle, but she could feel his displeasure. He seemed to come to a decision. “He’s here because my sister called him. She was afraid I had fallen off the wagon. Leo has spent the last two years making damn sure I didn’t slip up, so he was worried about me.”
Her heart softened a bit. “That’s real nice of him. I still wish he hadn’t seen my bottom.”
“Oh, he saw more than that, but don’t worry. Leo’s used to being around pretty, naked little subs. He usually knows when to keep his hands off. Usually.”
She was pretty sure Leo Meyer wasn’t off somewhere thinking about how to get his hands on her. “Well, in the future, I would appreciate it if you would let me know when we have guests.” She winced a little. She was assuming a lot. “I mean, I, when I have guests.”
“You had it right the first time, darlin’. Now drop the sheet, or we’ll spend the morning on discipline.”
He seemed to be very big on discipline. And on having her naked. She dropped the sheet and was rewarded by the heat that crept into Trev’s eyes. Those gorgeous orbs locked on her breasts.
“See, that’s better.” He leaned in and kissed her, pulling her body up against his, plastering her breasts to his chest. “Good morning, Beth.”
Her heart thumped in her chest. It felt so right to be close to him. This was how she’d always imagined it would be with Bo. A little sliver of guilt knifed through her, but she cast it aside. Bo hadn’t wanted her. Trev did, and she was crazy about him. In the course of a single night, he’d saved her twice, taken her virginity with kindness and patience, and sat up holding her and listening to her. Bo was good at listening to her, but she craved the intimacy Trev offered. It had been amazing to press their bodies together and rest her head on his chest. She hadn’t felt as close to a person before as she felt to Trev, as though the mere act of making love had bonded her to him.
And that was the way it was supposed to be. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, no longer concerned with her state of undress. “Good morning, Sir.”
He groaned. “Damn, I like that.”
He did. She could feel the press of his cock against her belly. Trev was utterly turned on by the whole submission thing, and that was fine with Beth. She’d read about the lifestyle in Lexi’s books and watched how it worked with Lexi’s husbands/Masters, and it seemed like a nice way to live. Mouse had been responsible for herself and her parents for so long that giving up a little responsibility seemed like a good thing.
Trev’s hand gently tugged on her hair, a silent request for her to bring her head up. She was already catching on to his habits.
“Yes?” Mouse asked.
“What are your plans for the day? I have to go out to Aidan O’Malley’s. I’ll probably be tied up for most of the day, but I want to see you tonight.”
Oh, she wanted to see him, too. There was a part of her that didn’t believe he’d meant what he’d said the night before. She halfway expected him to be gone this morning. “I want that, too. And I have to go out to the ranch. This morning I’m working on some stuff for Lexi, but this afternoon I have to go into town to the bank. I’m getting a home improvement loan.”
He frowned. “Are you sure about that? It might be better to just hire out a bulldozer.”
She wasn’t going to let his attitude get her down. Nor would she allow it to change her mind. She simply sighed and cuddled again. “Nope. I’m making this house beautiful again.”
His hand curved around her head, stroking her hair. “Explain it to me. I don’t understand. This place is falling down around you.”
No one understood, but Trev was the first one to ask her why. “You see a house that’s falling down, but that’s not what I see. Did you know this house was built in 1892?”
“I can believe it. And it hasn’t been updated since then.”
She laughed a little. “It was built by a man named Milo Bellows. He brought his family from New York, and he was one of the first people to move into Deer Run. He ran a general store. He built this place with his own two hands. I can see him. I can see that man laboring over this house, praying to get it just right because this house was his wife’s dream. He built it from the ground up, and his children grew up here. I can see them playing in the yard and running through the halls. How many people have walked through this place? How many sat on the porch and watched the sunset? How many sat in that big old dining room on Sunday enjoying supper after church? Those people mattered. They were loved, and they had lives, and this house saw it all. It shouldn’t be torn down because it isn’t perfect anymore. It’s got a history, and if I make it beautiful again, then a whole other family can live their lives here and it will go on. The beautiful things in life should go on even when they have flaws.”
He pulled her head up so their eyes met again. This time there was a grave look in his. He stared at her for a moment. “I’ll help you, then. You just tell me what to do.”
A rush of pleasure crashed over her. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. But I have a few rules.”
He always had rules. He seemed to need them. That didn’t mean she had to follow them, but she would listen politely. “Yes?”
“Don’t do anything dangerous. This house really is falling apart. I don’t want you on the roof. I don’t want you lifting anything too heavy. And don’t go into the downstairs office.”
“Why?”
He grimaced. “I’m pretty sure the damn thing could be made into a wildlife preserve. We need to call animal control before you clean out that room. There was a reason you got it so cheap.”
His rules seemed perfectly reasonable to her. She’d been afraid he was going to throw down a dictate that required her to be naked while painting and refinishing. “All right.”
He kissed her again. “Can you make some coffee while I’m in the shower? I couldn’t find any downstairs.”
“Oh, that’s because I don’t have any.”
He groaned. “Baby, coffee is all I have left. We have to get you a coffeemaker.”
“I’ll pick one up when I go into town.” She would have to remember to put the basket on her bike. It looked like she was going to the store. She glanced down and saw the phone. “Oh, you had a call last night. I forgot.”
He grimaced. “Was it from a man named Marty?”
She nodded. “Yes. I would tell you what he said, but it was mostly a bunch of letters.”
“Yeah, Marty’s big on acronyms. Don’t worry about it. He’s not important. I won’t be seeing him. And you got a call, too. It came in after you went to bed. Your phone didn’t recognize the number, so I didn’t mention it. It was after midnight. Probably a wrong number. I’ll go heat up the shower. You do have hot water?”
“I hope so.” She wasn’t exactly sure.
Trev growled again. He seemed to believe it was a perfectly acceptable form of communication. Mouse heard the water creak to life and picked up her cell. She didn’t recognize the number, either, but there was a voice mail message. She sat on the bed, surprisingly comfortable with being naked, and listened.
Bo. His voice came over the line. There was no way to mistake the anxiety in his tone.
“It’s me. I’m in a little trouble. I’m in jail and I really need for you to come down here and pick me up. I know you don’t like to drive, but I’m begging you, baby. Please come get me. I want to talk to you. I have a lot to say. And I went to jail, not Clarissa’s. Jail. No sex in jail. At least I hope not. Don’t leave me too long. I’ll be waiting.”
Bo was in jail. He was in jail. And he’d been there all night. She quickly dialed the sheriff’s department. A feminine voice answered.