for a little more complicated.”
“Why is that?” Jace asked, merging into the other lane and throwing a what-the-fuck
glare at the interminably slow driver they were passing.
Because it made her even more enticing. Because the idea that the sweet waitress had
a down and dirty side made his cock ache. Because the thought of her submitting to
his will had old desires burning holes through a wall he’d erected a long time ago.
“Because I don’t . . . do this.”
“You used to,” Jace said pointedly.
“Don’t start.”
“No, I will fucking say what needs to be said, Wy,” Jace said, irritation cutting
through his normally laidback manner. “You think you can turn that shit off? That
you can simply pack it away in a neat little box and pretend that isn’t part of you?
You may be able to convince yourself of that, but I saw you in action in college.
Don’t forget who brought me to my first play party.”
“I didn’t bring you. You followed me.”
“And thank God I did because I might never have figured out what all the stuff I was
feeling meant.”
Wyatt shook his head and adjusted his glasses back in place. Jace was the one and
only person in his life who knew Wyatt had been in a D/s relationship when he was
in graduate school. But his brother also knew what had happened and should know better
than to push him on this. “I’m glad you found your thing. But I have no interest in
traveling down that road again.”
“Right. Because I’m sure you find that scheduled Saturday night fuck very fulfilling,”
Jace said, throwing him a look. “Pick up dry cleaning, shop for groceries, screw fuck
buddy of the month.”
Wyatt scowled. “It’s not like that.”
“I bet you even put it on your calendar,” Jace said, on a roll now. “Do you draw in
a little heart there? Or maybe a happy face?”
Wyatt grunted, but had to wrestle back a smile on that one.
“Holy shit!” Jace said, his expression lighting like a dog who’d stumbled upon a favorite
bone. “You
do
put a smiley face, don’t you? You sick fucker.”
He shrugged. “I
may
put a star.”
Jace laughed hard at that, his eyes watering with the effort.
“And for the record, the woman I was . . . spending time with is not in the picture
anymore. So no more Saturday night appointments.” And really, Wyatt hadn’t felt any
regret over that. Their get togethers truly had become about as interesting as picking
up his dry cleaning. He got more out of one morning at the diner with Kelsey than
a slew of Saturday nights with Gwen.
“Fantastic. You’re unattached and in lust with one of my favorite women. Perfect time
to live a little and have some fun.”
Wyatt stared out the window, watching the dark of night creeping over the fields.
“No, it’s not. Even if I wanted to try this world again, Kelsey deserves better than
what I can offer. You know I’m not cut out to do all that relationship stuff. My life
doesn’t have room for that. I’ll end up hurting her.”
Jace smirked as he pulled off the road and took a left onto a half-hidden driveway.
“And what makes you think
she’s
looking for a relationship, genius? You’re getting all noble and shit, but why would
you assume all women are pining away for roses and a ring? Kelsey’s been through a
lot—much of which has been caused by men.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, sensing Jace was talking about more than drug dealers
being after her.
A flicker of regret passed over this expression. “It’s her story to tell, not mine.
But all I’m saying is that I doubt she came to work at The Ranch because she was searching
for the One with a capital
O
.”
Wyatt focused on the large cedar building looming in the distance as he absorbed Jace’s
words. Why
had
he assumed that? Maybe that wasn’t what Kelsey wanted at all. He’d met those women
out on a husband hunt all the time. Girls like that flocked to
“Why is that?” Jace asked, merging into the other lane and throwing a what-the-fuck
glare at the interminably slow driver they were passing.
Because it made her even more enticing. Because the idea that the sweet waitress had
a down and dirty side made his cock ache. Because the thought of her submitting to
his will had old desires burning holes through a wall he’d erected a long time ago.
“Because I don’t . . . do this.”
“You used to,” Jace said pointedly.
“Don’t start.”
“No, I will fucking say what needs to be said, Wy,” Jace said, irritation cutting
through his normally laidback manner. “You think you can turn that shit off? That
you can simply pack it away in a neat little box and pretend that isn’t part of you?
You may be able to convince yourself of that, but I saw you in action in college.
Don’t forget who brought me to my first play party.”
“I didn’t bring you. You followed me.”
“And thank God I did because I might never have figured out what all the stuff I was
feeling meant.”
Wyatt shook his head and adjusted his glasses back in place. Jace was the one and
only person in his life who knew Wyatt had been in a D/s relationship when he was
in graduate school. But his brother also knew what had happened and should know better
than to push him on this. “I’m glad you found your thing. But I have no interest in
traveling down that road again.”
“Right. Because I’m sure you find that scheduled Saturday night fuck very fulfilling,”
Jace said, throwing him a look. “Pick up dry cleaning, shop for groceries, screw fuck
buddy of the month.”
Wyatt scowled. “It’s not like that.”
“I bet you even put it on your calendar,” Jace said, on a roll now. “Do you draw in
a little heart there? Or maybe a happy face?”
Wyatt grunted, but had to wrestle back a smile on that one.
“Holy shit!” Jace said, his expression lighting like a dog who’d stumbled upon a favorite
bone. “You
do
put a smiley face, don’t you? You sick fucker.”
He shrugged. “I
may
put a star.”
Jace laughed hard at that, his eyes watering with the effort.
“And for the record, the woman I was . . . spending time with is not in the picture
anymore. So no more Saturday night appointments.” And really, Wyatt hadn’t felt any
regret over that. Their get togethers truly had become about as interesting as picking
up his dry cleaning. He got more out of one morning at the diner with Kelsey than
a slew of Saturday nights with Gwen.
“Fantastic. You’re unattached and in lust with one of my favorite women. Perfect time
to live a little and have some fun.”
Wyatt stared out the window, watching the dark of night creeping over the fields.
“No, it’s not. Even if I wanted to try this world again, Kelsey deserves better than
what I can offer. You know I’m not cut out to do all that relationship stuff. My life
doesn’t have room for that. I’ll end up hurting her.”
Jace smirked as he pulled off the road and took a left onto a half-hidden driveway.
“And what makes you think
she’s
looking for a relationship, genius? You’re getting all noble and shit, but why would
you assume all women are pining away for roses and a ring? Kelsey’s been through a
lot—much of which has been caused by men.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, sensing Jace was talking about more than drug dealers
being after her.
A flicker of regret passed over this expression. “It’s her story to tell, not mine.
But all I’m saying is that I doubt she came to work at The Ranch because she was searching
for the One with a capital
O
.”
Wyatt focused on the large cedar building looming in the distance as he absorbed Jace’s
words. Why
had
he assumed that? Maybe that wasn’t what Kelsey wanted at all. He’d met those women
out on a husband hunt all the time. Girls like that flocked to
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