Oak, Sophie - Away From Me (Siren Publishing Classic) (3 page)

He shrugged. “I just wondered what you did all day.”

Her laugh was bitter and without an ounce of humor. “I ate bonbons and watched soaps, Cal. I counted the hours until you got home.” She turned away from him and looked out over the yard. In the distance, her friends mingled and laughed. She still seemed so far away from them. Maybe she would always seem far away now.

Distance had given her a little perspective, especially when it came to Callum. “You weren’t interested in who I was as a person, Cal. You were interested in who I was as a sub. I was docile and sweet. That was what mattered to you. I didn’t ask questions or make demands. It was a D/s relationship. It wasn’t a love affair.” She knew the difference now.

His fingers ran across the exposed skin of her shoulders. The little spaghetti straps that held her dress up offered little protection against his gentle assault. She shivered at the touch. “And you don’t want that anymore, do you, Gaby? You don’t want a man to dominate you? You don’t want a man to take charge?”

Oh, there were certainly parts of her that did. His hands ran down to her waist, settling on her hips. She should be pushing him away. She knew it. When he pressed his groin against her backside, she could feel the hard ridge of his erection, and she knew she wasn’t going to walk away.

It was just sex, she told herself. Sex with Callum had been mind-blowingly good. There wasn’t any reason she couldn’t enjoy it again as long as she held herself apart. It had been so long. And tomorrow morning, she would be on a flight back to paradise, where she was surrounded by gorgeous men she couldn’t fuck because they were either an employee or a guest.

Cal pressed his hard dick against her, and she decided it was like a little treat. She could handle it. Hell, after what she’d been through, she could handle anything.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t interested in a Dominant man,” she heard herself saying in a deep, seductive voice she didn’t quite recognize.

He chuckled behind her, his breath warm against the back of her neck. “I didn’t think so, pet. You always did love the dirty stuff. It’s hard to believe a woman as submissive as you could really walk away from it all together. Do you have a new Dom, Gaby?”

“No.” She was barely managing to breathe. His hands moved up her torso. He cupped her breasts, seeming to weigh and learn their new contours. She stilled, trying to figure out what to say if he asked about the obvious changes there. She wished so much she was still sensitive. She used to love the feel of his hands on her breasts.

“Why not, baby? You love this.” It sounded almost like an accusation, but Gaby was too busy rubbing her ass against his cock to really register the menace in his voice. There was a distant alarm bell going off in the background of her brain, but she ignored it. She wanted, no, needed, what only Cal had ever been able to give her.

“Gabrielle,” he said in that dark voice of his, “get on your knees.”

She turned and complied, shutting her brain off. This wasn’t a place to listen to reason. This was that glorious place where she just listened to Callum. He would take care of her. He always did. She dropped to her knees, the hard wood of the gazebo just another sensation to be had.

“You know what I want, pet.”

His voice was seduction in and of itself. She couldn’t refuse him when he used that voice on her. Her hands trembled as she undid his belt and unbuttoned his slacks. It didn’t matter that anyone could walk up on them. That thought just made her wetter. It felt so good to want something. His big cock sprang out as she pushed his boxers out of the way. She sighed as she saw the pearly drop already leaking from the slit of his dick. She couldn’t help herself. Her tongue came out. She ran it across his head, gathering the pre-cum. It was salty on her tongue. She wanted more. She lightly pulled just the head of his cock into her mouth, milking him gently for the salty stuff.

“Damn it, Gaby,” he growled. “Suck me.”

His hands came down, tangling in what was left of her hair. She briefly bemoaned its loss. The new pixie cut was chic, but she’d only gotten it out of necessity. She remembered how Cal loved her long hair. He would wrap it around his fist and gently direct her. Now, he struggled to get a hold of it. He managed and pushed his cock into her mouth as he pulled at her head.

She let her tongue whirl around his silky, hard shaft. She relearned the shape and feel of him. She let him guide her, sucking hard along him. He pushed her, tunneling his way to the back of her throat, then groaned as she fought him. She hollowed out her cheeks when he tried to pull out.

“God, you give the best head, Gaby,” he muttered.

She turned her eyes up. He was looking down, watching his cock fuck her mouth. His eyes were hot as he peered down. His hips thrust forward. She checked her gag reflex and concentrated on breathing through her nose. She reached up and rolled his tight balls in her hands. He hissed, the sound pushing out between his teeth. She’d heard it so many times and knew exactly what it meant. He was close, so close. His cock swelled in the already tight confines of her mouth. It was only seconds before he would come. She couldn’t wait. When he was done, it would be her turn. He would pull off her panties and arrange her on the bench. He would spread her legs and feast on her pussy. It would feel so good.

“I’m going to come, pet,” he announced softly, but with purpose. “That tight mouth of yours is too much. You’ll swallow me. Don’t lose a drop.”

She would have smiled if she hadn’t had a mouthful of urgent cock. As if she would do anything else. She softened her throat. Callum groaned as she swallowed around him. He’d described it once as a soft, sweet vise around his dick. It was different than her pussy or her ass. The sound of Cal’s moan filled the gazebo and rolled over her, filling her with an erotic pride. He might not have loved her, but he’d always made her feel wanted. The first hot jet of Cal’s cum spurted onto her tongue. The taste was familiar, and Gaby heard her own throaty sounds as she struggled to push him as far as he could go. Gaby swallowed, not wanting to miss a drop. She sucked him while he softened. He pulled out of her mouth with a soft pop.

She sat back on her heels, a little surprised. She drew in the humid air, struggling to catch her breath. Usually, he wanted her to lick him clean. It was a soft time she craved. He would stroke her hair while she ran her tongue along him. He would tell her how much he enjoyed her, how pretty she was. He said nothing now, merely tucked his cock in and zipped up his pants. He didn’t even lend a hand to get her off her knees. She pushed up against the bench to get herself into a standing position.

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Cal’s voice made a mockery of the quiet surroundings, pulling her out of their intimacy. “How much do I owe you for the hummer?”

“What?” It was penetrating her brain that he’d used her with no thought to making it mutual.

His sensual lips looked a little cruel. “The blow job, Gaby. How much? I think I have a fifty on me. I know you don’t fuck me just for fun.”

“I thought…” She let the sentence dangle as humiliation swept over her body.

“What? Did you think I wanted to fuck you, baby? Did you think I’d take care of you now? I have it on the highest authority that I’m no longer responsible for your orgasms. You have some fingers. Take care of yourself. Or, you could ask that asshole you were talking to earlier. Maybe you can get a ring out of him.” He winked at her. It was an ugly thing.

She felt him stare at her, and her skin chilled under his cold appraisal.

“I don’t want to fuck you, Gaby. I’m afraid this new look you’ve come up with isn’t attractive. The boobs are bigger, but I can’t stand silicone, and you know that. The hair is terrible, and you’re far too thin for my tastes.”

She touched her hair and felt the tears start. It had only started growing back a few months before. She’d been right to leave him, she thought in a bit of a daze. He wouldn’t have stuck around anyway. She wobbled on her heels. It didn’t matter. He just cured her of any lingering desire for him. She’d never been anything to him but a convenient lay and a cheap housekeeper. He couldn’t treat her the way he just had if he’d ever cared about her. She patted her hair down.

“Sorry you don’t like it, Callum,” she managed with as much bravado as she could muster. “You should have seen it a couple of months back. You would have loved it then. As for my skinny body, well, I found the best diet ever. Chemo will get you to your goal weight in a hurry. Keep your money, Cal. I’ll consider the blow job a life lesson. Goodbye.”

She walked away from him, holding her head high when all she wanted to do was sulk away and cry. She strode past the pool, ignoring the people who greeted her. She got her purse and went straight out to her car without saying goodbye to her hosts. It was rude, she knew, but she couldn’t face anyone now. She started the car just as Cal caught up to her.

“Gaby!”

Even inside the car, she could hear the command in his voice. She pulled away. She didn’t owe him anything. Gaby felt the sadness well up inside her as she drove off. There was nothing between them, not even friendship. In the morning, she would get on a plane and leave him behind again. It was time to go home.

* * * *

Cal strode back into Greg’s house knowing full well he looked like an angry bull. People all around him moved quickly to get out of his way. He thought briefly about getting into his Jag and pursuing her but changed his mind. It was obvious that a lot had been kept from him. He needed to know what had been going on. Greg knew. That son of a bitch knew and hadn’t bothered to mention it to him.

What had happened? Chemo? What sort of cancer had she lived through? His heart thudded in his chest, and the room seemed to squeeze around him. She’d been so thin. How long had she had…he couldn’t say it, even think it. Had she known when she left him?

Across the room, he saw Greg laughing at something Heather said. Anger raced across Cal’s system. He welcomed it. Anger was easier to deal with than the fear and guilt that had crushed him from the moment Gaby had smoothed down her hair and made her announcement. His stomach was in knots. Beating the shit out of Greg would make him feel infinitely more in control.

Greg looked up, regarding him with a little bit of disdain in his eyes. That disdain was quickly replaced with startled shock as Cal bore down on him. Cal was satisfied at the way Greg’s eyes widened and he quickly set his beer down and pushed Heather out of the way. He looked at Cal like he probably would look at a snarling dog. His hands came up, wary, worried. “Cal, whatever is going through your brain, we should talk about it.”

“Fuck talking,” he spat out as his fist connected with Greg’s jaw. The sight of Greg hitting the floor satisfied Cal deeply.

“God damn it, Cal.” Greg picked himself up. He rubbed his jaw. All around them, people looked on in shock. Heather pushed at Cal, her manicured nails shoving at him.

“You, asshole. Get out of my house,” she swore.

He looked down at the woman he’d known for ten years. He’d introduced her to her husband. Now she looked at him like he was a monster. It didn’t matter.

“I’m not going anywhere until someone explains what the hell is wrong with Gabrielle.”

Heather’s eyes turned down. Cal knew her well enough. A small suspicion started in the back of his brain. He turned to Greg, who pulled his wife out of the line of fire.

“I think you should leave now, Callum.” Greg’s voice was stony and flat.

Cal held his ground. He wasn’t going anywhere until he got what he needed. “I told you. I’m not leaving until you explain why Gaby needed fucking chemotherapy. Don’t pretend. I know you know.”

Greg ran a hand over his jaw. “Of course I know. Who do you think paid for her reconstructive surgery?”

“What?” It came out as a startled gasp. Cal felt his knees buckle and had to force himself to keep standing. The world had just tilted, and he didn’t like where he landed.

“Holy shit, Cal.” Greg put an arm on Cal’s shoulder to steady him. The wary, almost disdainful look that had been on Greg’s face was replaced with confusion. “Are you telling me you didn’t know?”

He felt his jaw firm into granite. He bit his words out. “Do you honestly believe I would have allowed her to go through that alone? I might be a son of a bitch, but I have always cared for my sub. I took care of Gabrielle.”