Page 86 of Delicious Surrender
A girl got up and sang “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper. Her friends cheered and Brynne wished she had friends to go out on the town with. If Jared visited, they could do one of their favorite duets. Ever since she started dating Ross, they hadn’t gone out partying. Wow, she hadn’t thought of him at all. Gage had monopolized her thoughts more after a few weeks than the man she spent over a year with. What did that tellher? That she never loved Ross—she’d just found a safe place to hide.
A group of people stayed until the house lights came on and the karaoke operator started packing up his stuff. The work was exhausting, but it kept her hopping and her mind off the depressing state of her life.
When she got home, Brynne barely had the energy to wash her face and brush her teeth. She was dozing off when she remembered to set her alarm. No way did she want to be caught in her pajamas again.
Sunday morning dawned sunny and warm. She sat on the deck outside to have her coffee. The breeze was crisp, so she opened the windows to let the ocean air freshen the house. After breakfast, she went to take a shower. The water pressure was oddly light. She cranked the dials all the way to the max and suddenly brown water started sputtering out of the faucet. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Cursing, she stomped upstairs to the ensuite bathroom, which had an old clawfoot tub. The water was clear, and it was warm—there just wasn’t any pressure. At this rate, it would take a day to fill the tub, so she stuck her head under the faucet, soaped up, and splashed the rest of her body in three inches of water. Afterward, she moved her things up to Josie’s room, so she was out of Logan’s way.
As promised, he arrived at noon. She watched him covertly from the back window as he unloaded the plywood from histruck. His faded jeans hugged his mouthwatering butt like a glove. That body was hard to ignore. She prayed his plumbing skills were as impressive.
She opened the door before he could knock. “Hi.”
“Good morning, beautiful. Looks like you had a better sleep last night?”
His smile was infectious, and she smiled back. “Yeah, I slept great, but I’m wondering if I’m cursed. I’ve got another plumbing problem.” She showed him the brown water coming out of the bathroom taps. “When I tried the bath upstairs, there was hardly any pressure, but at least it was clear.”
“Oh boy, that’s not good. There must be a problem behind these walls. I’ll see if I can close off pipes in the newer part of the house and divert water upstairs for you.”
“I hope that works.”
He rested his hands on his tool belt and tried to look serious. “You can always come and shower at my place.”
She smirked. “That’s very sweet of you, but I’m sure I will manage.”
“Have you got a boyfriend, then?”
The bluntness of his question took her by surprise. “No. I just broke up with my boyfriend and I’m not ready to date yet.”
His mouth quirked up. “The best way to get over a breakup is to have fabulous revenge sex.”
“I’m not sure it’s revenge I need.”
His face lit with mischief. “Even better. Sex for the fun of it. I’m happy to volunteer my services. Just say the word.”
Brynne laughed. “I appreciate the offer, truly, but could we stick to plumbing for now?”
“All right. But I hope we can expand the scope of work at a later date.”
She watched Logan single-handedly carry the washing machine out the back door and questioned her sanity. The man was sex on two legs, and she was letting him walk. In her twenties, she moved effortlessly from one man to the next without remorse, revenge, or regret. There was no reason she couldn’t erase the lingering thoughts of Gage with hot sex. Maybe that was exactly what she needed.
Brynne left a message for Alistair, asking for an advance from the estate. She sat down at her computer and opened her manuscript. It had been over a week since she had written a word, and it was time to recapture the momentum. This book had to sizzle, and she would do whatever it took to get it back on track. She searched through her backpack, looking for the sticky notes with the websites and BDSM chat rooms. If she was lucky, she would find a real Dom online, willing to answer her questions.
22
First Right of Refusal
On Monday morning, Alistair returned her call and suggested she drop by his office so they could discuss the matter in person. She wondered why he wouldn’t just tell her on the phone. Whatever, she was going into town for her first bartending shift that night, so they agreed to meet around four thirty.
Brynne knew something was amiss. Alistair was always put together, but today his tie was gone, and his hair stuck up all over the place.
“I received a call today about your aunt’s estate. There has been a development that I must share with you.”
“You’re making me nervous Alistair, what on earth is going on?”
“Let me get right to it. The man who owns the propertysurrounding yours is claiming Josie made promises to him.”
“What? What kind of promises?” she tried to keep her voice calm.