Mina's Heart (18 page)

Ever didn’t feel like arguing.

“I plan to tell her after I ask her to marry me.”

Wilder didn’t say anything, but the look he gave Ever spoke volumes.

* * * *

Mina stared at the barren dirt in the flowerpot. In this crisp October weather, there was nothing to be done with it. She was supposed to be putting the hanging baskets in the storage shed so her mother could bring them out next year and plant new flowers.

But she was lost in thought, remembering the day Ever had purchased the pot. Flowers had flowed from it, hanging over the sides in a glorious shade of red. He’d asked her to dinner. She’d been nervous and excited to go on a date with a man who had the audacity to kiss her just because she’d agreed to see him.

He’d been gone for one whole day, and she didn’t miss him. No, that was a lie. She missed the feel of his arms around her. She missed the way he smelled. She missed his laugh. She missed hearing his voice, though she’d let her phone go to voice mail when he had called to let her know he’d made it safely to California. She wanted to tell him she wasn’t sure whether she was more angry or hurt at what he’d done to her, but she couldn’t decide, and she couldn’t figure out why she felt so betrayed.

She loved Everett Burke with her entire body and soul, yet she felt like she was stuck in a relationship that was going to suck the life from her. She’d asked him to tie her up during sex, and he’d done exactly that, only it hadn’t been what she’d expected. A small part of her had hated the loss of control, but a tiny piece of her argued that he’d done it because he cared. He hadn’t been callous or cruel. She’d called him domineering, and that was an apt description. She just couldn’t figure out whether she could have a life with a man who nurtured that kind of tendency. It was all very confusing, because a larger part of her hadn’t hated it one bit.

Speaking of life, she had promised to sleep at his apartment so that Jolo wouldn’t be alone. She forced herself to finish this last gardening task, and then she packed a bag.

Jin Ae handed her a plastic storage bowl as she came into the kitchen to bid her mother good night. “Breakfast. You don’t eat enough.”

Mina smiled in a weak show of gratitude. She hadn’t been very hungry today, a side effect of the emotional upheaval. “Ever left plenty of food for me.”

He’d stocked up on her favorites before his trip, taking care of her even when he wasn’t there.

In Ever’s apartment, Jolo meowed loudly and wrapped her body around Mina’s ankles. Mina dropped her bag in the entryway and scooped up the cat. They bumped foreheads. Jolo purred, though she did make it clear that she would prefer to be on Mina’s shoulders.

Setting her on a window seat, Mina petted her. “No, Jolo. We’ve been over this. My shoulders are not wide enough for you. There’s sliding and slipping, and then it ends with your claws in my back. I’m not into pain or injury.”

Though Jolo’s owner did seem to be causing Mina some pain and heartache. She didn’t like that either. Ever was the first man for whom she’d had feelings. She’d never been in love before. This first disagreement weighed heavily on her. She wasn’t proud of her behavior. She shouldn’t have hit him like that. She’d seen the deep purple bruise when he’d showered that morning.

He’d always been careful not to leave bruises on her.

The idea of telling him that she was a loser who couldn’t get a job made her feel ill.

Remembering the odd way he’d “punished” her also made her feel ill. What gave him the right to do that to her? Why hadn’t she called the safe word or formed the safe signal? What if doing so meant their relationship was over?

For several hours, she wandered around his apartment. The television provided a soundtrack, though she barely listened to the home improvement show that featured the foibles of ordinary homeowners trying to renovate their own homes. To Mina it seemed like a cheap way to film a show, though she had to admit it was sometimes funny to see what kinds of stupid things people did.

She fired up her computer to see if any new job offers were on the horizon. The company in California that had offered her a plane ticket had contacted her again, this time with a proposal that promised more money.

Mina desperately wanted to accept the offer, but given the fact that Ever wanted her to move in with him next spring, she couldn’t seriously entertain that option. Still, she put off sending a refusal.

On a whim, she searched for Oasis. It was a band, a college, a dating service for people over fifty, a restaurant chain, and a clothing store, among other things. Too many options, so she narrowed her search by adding “Vermont” and “wishes.”

One result came up over and over, so she clicked on it.

The home page was graced by a photograph of a naked woman bound to a chair with a thick rope. Her legs were open, though her pussy was turned away from the camera. In her mouth was a ball gag, similar to what Ever had used on her the night before. A man stood behind her, his hands cupping her breasts. Instruments of torture lay scattered on the floor around them. The model’s eyes were widened in a combination of fear and ecstasy. The caption read
This slave is ready to please her master
.

Mina couldn’t tear her eyes from the site, and when she found a sample questionnaire, she nearly had a heart attack. It asked questions about sex—oral, vaginal, and anal—that used words she’d never encountered. It asked about bondage and submission. As she read, she realized why she’d been so unsettled and confused about what Ever had done to her. He’d delivered a master’s punishment for his slave without asking her permission or telling her what he was really doing.

All this time, he’d been a Dom treating her like a submissive slave. A slave—a role she’d promised herself she’d play for no man. Her life belonged to her, and she was not going to give anyone the power to trample all over her dreams. Flashes of Ever replayed in her memory. At the beginning of their relationship, he’d made her ask to have an orgasm. He’d controlled every aspect of their sex life, and she’d let him. Perhaps he hadn’t been as dominating as the descriptions indicated, but he’d known damn well what he was doing, and he hadn’t once asked her about it. She felt betrayed and used on the most basic level.

She wasn’t going to stay here and make the same mistake her mother had made all those years ago. Everett’s lies hurt. Pieces of her heart clenched painfully, but it was better to find out now, before she compounded the problem by moving in with him.

Picking up the phone, she called the California firm that wanted to hire her and made arrangements for a flight.

* * * *

The entire display case sparkled. Ever bent down to get a closer look at the complex designs and the different configurations of gems. He huffed out a breath.

“How the hell am I supposed to pick from all these? She barely wears jewelry, and what she does wear is tasteful and understated.” Mina’s accessories accented her beauty. They didn’t upstage it.

Wilder chuckled. He had yet to give the contents more than a casual glance. “Then look for something simple. She’s marrying you, not the ring.”

Behind the counter, the salesperson gave a dainty snort.

Ever eyed the woman, noting the high-quality cut of her power suit. He estimated her age to be somewhere in the early seventies. “You disagree?”

She favored him with a small, elegant smile. “The ring is a symbol of your relationship, but it’s also a test. How well do you really know her? This ring will tell her what she means to you.”

“She’s petite, so I don’t want anything too big. I’d like some rubies because she looks great in red.” He thought for a minute, considering the changes she’d made in the design of the house. “It needs to be classic. Tasteful. Platinum. Symmetrical.”

Wilder’s lip curled, a precursor to a rare smile. “Symmetrical?”

“She likes balance. I wanted five bathrooms, but she insisted on four or six. Same thing with the burners on the stove. She moved the fireplace so that it was equidistant from either wall in the family room. She thinks like an OCD engineer.” He wished she would talk about her job search. He knew she was looking, but she refused to apprise him of her progress. He wasn’t stupid; there weren’t many computer engineering jobs in Vermont.

His job at Oasis could be done from anywhere in the country, especially if they wanted to grow the business. If she would just talk to him, they could work out a different solution to their living situation. Perhaps the Vermont house would become their vacation and retirement residence.

But every time he brought up the topic, she became angry and withdrawn. The punishment had been an ill-advised, desperate attempt to break through to her. He just wanted her to trust him enough to let him in, to confide in him, to know that he would always be there for her, no matter where life took them. He hadn’t accomplished that at all.

Just then, he spied the perfect ring. It had a good-sized rock in a nest of diamond and ruby chips. He knew immediately that she would love it. He made arrangements to have it inscribed and sized. It would be delivered to his apartment when it was ready.

On the way out, his cell rang. He grinned as he recognized Mina’s ringtone, and he winked at Wilder. “Looks like the future Mrs. Everett Burke can’t wait until tonight to talk to me.”

She hadn’t picked up the phone when he’d called the night before or earlier that day, so he had been a little worried.

Wild shook his head, but he smiled too, so Ever knew his brother was happy for him.

“Hey, gorgeous, what’s up?”

She was silent for a second, almost as if she was surprised he’d answered. Then her words came out in a rush. “This isn’t going to work out. I can’t see you anymore.”

The meaning didn’t penetrate. A confused buzzing started in his ears. “What?”

“It’s over. I’m sorry.”

She was crying. He heard the hiccup of her sob, though she tried to mask it. “Honey, tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s all wrong. We don’t belong together.”

“Mina—” He tried to say more, but she’d ended the call. Immediately he redialed, but she didn’t pick up.

Next to him, Wilder waited, his eyebrows pinched together in concern. “What’s wrong?”

Ever shook his head. The buzzing in his ears grew louder, and the moment took on a surreal quality. “She broke up with me.”

The shock on Wilder’s face mirrored what Ever felt inside. “We’ll get the next flight home.”

Numbly, Ever nodded. He let Wilder handle the arrangements. They made it to town just before midnight and headed straight to Elmhurst. It was the location of their first date, and Isla had called Wilder to inform him that Mina was there with a man.

Rock music blared from speakers set up near the makeshift stage. A local band played their rendition of something he couldn’t identify. It didn’t matter anyway. Tables had been cleared away for dancing, and the floor was packed with bodies.

He zeroed in on them right away. His shock morphed to anger, tingeing the world in red. He plowed through the crowd, knocking people aside. Behind him, he dimly heard Wilder apologizing for him.

He slapped a hand on her date’s shoulder, whirled the smaller man around, and punched him in the face. The man stumbled backward, falling against several people nearby. A huge circle opened up around them. Mina regarded him with wide eyes. Fear blazed from every line of her body.

He wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her closer. “You’re coming home with me, and you’re going to explain what the fuck is going on.”

She tried to break his hold. Her eyes were even wider now, and her chest heaved with the force of her exertion. He’d never seen her look so terrified. Part of him wanted her to be afraid. She’d messed up badly, and she needed to know there were severe consequences for playing games like these.

Her mouth moved, forming words of protest that he ignored. Her date stepped between them and tried to break Everett’s hold on Mina’s arm. Ever tightened his grip, not caring if he left bruises, and punched the man squarely in the stomach with his other hand. The blow wasn’t as forceful. The man bent forward and grunted, but he didn’t give up.

“Let go of her.”

Some words made it through the haze of rage fogging his mind, but they only pissed him off even more. Nobody told him how to handle his woman. Letting go of Mina, he cocked his arm to take another swing at her date, but Wilder hooked his arm through Everett’s, halting him before he could get any forward momentum going.

Wilder’s voice sounded in his ear. “It’s not his fault, bro. You’d do the same thing to defend your date if some asshole showed up and tried to cart her away.”

The words of wisdom did little to eradicate his anger. He looked at Mina, but she wouldn’t return his gaze. “Mina, can’t we talk about this?”

She shook her head. He tried to go for her again, but Wilder held him back.

“Let’s go home, Ever. This wasn’t the best idea we’ve had.”

Micah appeared on his other side. His childhood buddy had recently joined him and Wild in working for Oasis. He was a little taller and bulkier than both Everett and Wilder, and he’d never lost a contest of physical strength against either brother.

Wordlessly, his brother and his friend escorted Everett into the cool night air. Isla and Eva, two other friends and Oasis employees, joined them.

Nobody asked questions, and he was grateful for that. He had a gaping hole where his heart had once been. He couldn’t think straight. Her words and the image of her with another man’s hands on her hips wouldn’t stop replaying in his mind.

A small set of hands cupped his face, but they belonged to the wrong petite woman. Isla was ten years his senior. She’d worked for Oasis since he was a teenager. At one point he’d harbored a small crush on her. Then he’d realized she was a Domme.

She gave him a sad, watery smile. “I have a lot of alcohol at my house. Let’s get drunk and strategize.”

* * * *

Strategy proved to be pointless. By the next morning, Mina had moved, and her mother refused to say where she’d gone.