Brie Pleases her New Master (After Graduation, #1) (6 page)

The Wolf Returns

Brie arrived at the tobacco shop early on Monday, but it seemed weird to her now and she actually blushed when she saw Mr. Reynolds. At her graduation ceremony, she’d found out he was Sir’s uncle, and he’d seen her bare-chested.

Thankfully, Mr. Reynolds did not behave differently. He nodded as he priced the tins of tobacco. “Good to see you, Brie.”

She walked up to him and smiled sadly, handing over her letter of resignation. “I’m sorry, Mr. Reynolds, but I am going to be moving on.”

He took her letter reluctantly. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

Jeff came up from the back. “What? Are you quitting, Brie?”

Brie ignored him—she had no respect for the boy. However, Mr. Reynolds responded to his inquiry. “Yes, we are losing Miss Bennett in two weeks.”

“Fuck that. I quit.” Jeff walked out of the front door without another word.

Mr. Reynolds shrugged. “Well, he just made my job easier.”

Brie chuckled. It was true. Jeff had been a lazy employee who’d caused more problems than he was worth. “Will you get in trouble with the owner?” Brie asked, worried for her kind boss.

“I’ve wanted to fire the punk for a year. I can’t be blamed if he quits.”

“I’ll be happy to train two people for you, sir.”

He turned his head at the sound of the title she only meant informally. A smile suddenly spread across his face. “The two of you were certainly the talk of the evening after you left. I was told such a thing has never happened in the history of the Center. Are you still confident of your unorthodox choice?”

She grinned. “Yes, there is no doubt in my mind.”

“Good. Thane is a good man,” Mr. Reynolds said, sounding pleased. “You have balls of steel, young lady. My heart dropped when he said no.”

Brie shuddered. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but there was no other choice for me.”

Mr. Reynolds’ expression changed, and she noted sadness in his eyes. “Thane has had a difficult time opening up to people ever since…”

He stopped, so she finished his sentence. “Since his father’s suicide?”

Mr. Reynolds’ face became pale. “My brother-in-law’s death changed the boy, but walking in on it would change any man.”

Brie was shocked by the revelation. Sir hadn’t just seen his father’s body; he had been present when the man had died. It broke her heart.

She saw the raw grief in Mr. Reynolds’ eyes when he spoke. “The boy lost himself when Alonzo died. We took him in, but he was in too much pain and far too independent to accept our help. He petitioned for emancipation at age sixteen, and was granted it. I’ve tried to be there for him as much as he would allow.” Mr. Reynolds’ expression changed, as if he regretted what he’d said. “I’m sorry. It isn’t my place to talk about this. Forgive me.”

“It’s obvious everyone was hurt by it,” Brie offered. She found it odd that Mr. Reynolds hadn’t mentioned his own sister. What part, if any, had she played in what had happened?

His voice caught, the emotion hard for him to contain. “It’s a damn shame. An extraordinary talent lost and a young man scarred for life.” He turned away and wiped his eyes before he looked at her again. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’ve come into his life.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no, I’m the grateful one.”

“It’s good you feel that way, Brie. Thane is much like his father,” he paused and smiled sadly, “in that he is honorable to a fault.”

“Sir is an honorable man,” Brie agreed, returning his smile. “I’m thrilled he has chosen me to partner with.”

Mr. Reynolds wrapped one arm around her. “As much as I hate to lose you, I can’t think of a better reason.”

“At least I don’t have to say goodbye.” She gave him a tentative hug. “Now that I’m part of the family,
Unc
.”

“You are not allowed to call me that at work. Nepotism and all that.”

She nodded and stepped away. “I understand. I’m sorry, Mr. Reynolds. It won’t happen again.”

He laughed out loud. “I’m just kidding, Brie. We’re surrounded by nepotism here. Truly, I have never had an employee who worked as hard, or treated me with the respect you do.”

“I hope you are allowed to hire good people this time, Mr. Reynolds.”

He shook his head. “I doubt it. I’ve been told there are several nieces and nephews looking for jobs.”

“I’ll do my best to train them well, then.”

Mr. Reynolds chuckled. “You do that for me.”

She spent a pleasant morning at the shop, ringing up customers and stocking the shelves. At noon, her phone binged with a text. She took a quick glance and saw that it was Sir. As texting was not allowed at work, she asked for permission before answering it. “I know it’s against policy, Mr. Reynolds, but it’s Sir. I really need to take this.”

He smiled in understanding. “Yes, Brie. You have my permission to answer his texts only, just as long as customers are not present.”

She beamed at him. “Thank you, Mr. Reynolds!”

Brie held her breath as she clicked on the text. The butterflies began when she read it.
Tonight we will play a game.

It left her in a constant state of excitement for the rest of the day. What did Sir have planned for the evening? The possibilities gave her goosebumps.

When five o’clock finally rolled around, she bade Mr. Reynolds goodbye and headed out, a bundle of sexual tension.
Going home to Master!

As she was walking to the car she heard her name being called. “Brie! Brie Bennett.”

She turned and saw Faelan loping up to her. “What are you doing here?” she asked, stunned to see him at her place of work.

“I’ve been waiting to talk with you alone.”

“I can’t,” she exclaimed, taking a few steps back. “I don’t think Sir would approve.”

“But this is between us
—
it doesn’t involve him.”

She did not feel comfortable and turned to leave, not wanting to have a confrontation with Faelan in the middle of the parking lot. He quickly caught up with her and took hold of her arm. “We’re just going to talk. What’s the harm in that?”

“I don’t think we should,” she insisted.

“Brie.” Blue Eyes cocked his head and smiled sadly. “Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?” His eyes drew her in and she became acutely aware of the pain behind them.

“Todd…” She quickly corrected herself, addressing him properly. “Mr. Wallace.”

He shrugged off the formality, calling her by her given name. “Brie, we are two of a kind, you and me.” When he came nearer, she decided not to bolt.
We have to talk this out sooner or later.
“I knew the minute I met you that you and I were meant to be. Hell, my one thought this whole time has been to become the man, the Dom, you needed.”

She shook her head indignantly, remembering how he’d made her feel on graduation night. “It didn’t appear that way at my graduation.”

“Blossom.”

She stiffened when he used his pet name for her. “Don’t call me that.”

“Fine.” He put his hands in the air as if in surrender. “But you need to know that I didn’t touch Mary.”

Brie turned towards her car, not wanting to hear his version of that night. “I heard her, Fae…Mr. Wallace! Don’t even go there.”

He advanced towards her cautiously, as if he were afraid she might get spooked and run if he moved too fast. “Mary needed a little pain, so I delivered what she asked for. There was no sex involved.”

She glared at him. “If that was the case, you should have explained it to me when I asked, but you didn’t! And now it doesn’t matter.” She took a defiant stance with her hands on her hips and her head held high. “I’m Sir’s now. There is no going back.”

Pain washed over those ocean blues, but he said with conviction, “We are meant to be together, Brie.” He backed her into the side of her car, putting an arm on either side of her. “Headmaster Davis stole you from me.” His stare pierced her with its intensity. “Why the hell did he spend all that extra time training me just to steal you away?”

Faelan’s close proximity felt as if it were a force, immobilizing her. It needed to stop—it
had
to stop. She gazed into those deep blue eyes and said softly, “I chose him.”

He snarled, “It’s because of that damn Mary, isn’t it? She’s the one who screwed it up for us.”

“No, but she helped me to realize I can’t trust you.” He was about to interrupt, so she forged ahead. “When I asked if you wanted Mary, you answered, ‘Yes’. I knew then you didn’t care about me.”

“What? Did you expect me to lie? Any guy who told you he wasn’t attracted to the girl would not have been telling you the truth. Come on, Brie…” He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Just because I find her attractive doesn’t mean I want to collar her. I was clear about that.”

His answer threw Brie off. She scooted from under his arms and walked to the driver’s side of her car.

Todd stated quietly, “I deserve a chance.”

She attempted to unlock the door with a trembling hand. “None of this matters. It’s too late.”

“I need you, blossom.” He was beside her again, covering her hand with his. “You are my reason.”

She slowly pulled the key back out of the lock and looked at him. “No…”

“Brie, I didn’t understand who I was until I met you. You opened my eyes to the truth and freed me from the hell I’ve suffered. Don’t turn your back on me now.”

She shook her head. “Please…stop.”

“If you knew the truth you would not be so callous towards me now.”

“I’m not being callous, Todd. But this,” she gestured at the two of them, “doesn’t do either of us any good. We can’t change what happened. I—”

Faelan lifted his hand to caress her cheek. She turned her head to avoid his touch just as Mr. Reynolds opened the door of the shop and called out to her. “Brie, is this man harassing you? Do you want me to call the police?”

Brie shook her head. “No, everything is fine, Mr. Reynolds. We’re done here. I was just leaving.” She unlocked her car door and looked back at Faelan. “Don’t talk to me again. You’ll only get yourself in trouble.” She jumped into her car, grateful for her boss’ interruption.

On the drive home, she debated whether or not she should tell Sir. She decided against it. Faelan had been hurt enough, and Brie didn’t want to add to his pain by making Sir furious at him.

But how disconcerting to find out that Blue Eyes hadn’t fooled around with Mary. It didn’t change her heart, because she knew without a doubt she was with the right man. However, it made her sad.

She hoped Faelan would be able to move on. It would be a shame if Blue Eyes walked away from the lifestyle because of her. Sir had mentioned seeing Faelan’s natural talent and she’d had the pleasure of experiencing it herself. There was no doubt he would make some submissive very, very happy.

****

Sir was not home when she arrived. The first thing she did was undress so that she was naked except for the beautiful collar around her neck.

While she waited for him, she decided to cut up a salad. She might not be able to cook, but she was capable of cutting vegetables. As she searched through the refrigerator she noticed a lone tomato. It melted her heart. Sir hated the little red fruit, which could only mean one thing: he’d bought it specifically for her. She picked it up and kissed it before placing it back in the fridge to admire.

Once the salad was prepared she went to the door, choosing to greet Sir in the kneeling position he had assigned her at the Center. Her stomach was full of butterflies every time she heard the elevator open. A whole day away from Sir had her anxious to please her handsome Dom.

While she waited, she reflected on Mr. Reynolds’ revelation of the deep pain Sir carried. It made her love him all the more. If love could heal wounds, she would love Sir to wholeness.

Her heart sped up when she finally heard the key in the lock. She bowed her head when the door opened. She heard it shut and then felt Sir’s hand on her head, along with the familiar jolt of warm passion his touch inspired.

“Stand and serve your Master, téa.”

His words warmed her loins. She gracefully stood up and felt his finger under her chin. She lifted her head up and he kissed her. Brie’s soul sighed in contentment. “Welcome home, Master.”

“How was your day?” he asked as he placed his key on the counter and unbuttoned his jacket. She took it from him and hung it on the hook in the hallway.

“It was good, Sir. Jeff quit, which made the day so much nicer.”

Sir chuckled. “I can imagine Unc was pleased by that.”

“Yes, he was, Sir. Now I can train both replacements for him. I hope to do Mr. Reynolds justice by training hard workers.”

He smiled down at her. “No reason not to try, my optimistic little sub.” Sir handed her his briefcase. “Set it by the couch and wait for me there.”

While she followed his orders, he disappeared down the hallway. She stared out of the large window, thrilled by this new life of hers. Sir was an exceptional person, and not just an experienced Dom. He was caring and conscientious in everything he did. Truly, she was the luckiest sub in the world.

He returned wearing only black sweatpants. His toned chest begged to be caressed and kissed. Sir sat on the couch and motioned for her to lay her head on his knee. He began petting her hair as he had each night since her arrival. It was something she adored; the ritual made her feel especially cherished.

After more than a half hour in silence, he spoke. “Today was quite successful. I have procured another client. A large client, in fact. Now that I am free of the Training Center, I plan to expand my accounts overseas. Mark my words, your Master will become a prominent force in the business world, téa.”

She looked up at him, beaming with pride. “I am not surprised, Sir. You are exceptionally talented. I’m positive you would succeed in anything you tried your hand at.”

He caressed her cheek. “Such blind confidence, but I appreciate your certainty.” His finger traced the outline of her lips. “I must admit, it seems odd not to be at the Center tonight. Normally, I would be sifting through the paperwork of the new recruits.” His hand trailed down to her chest. “However, I find this far more pleasurable…”