9. Lily

CHAPTER 9

LILY

I can’t wait to crawl into bed. This has been a great night, but I’m drained. And I need some quiet to think. I have a lot to think about.

Like Drake feeding me an entire meal.

Like Drake telling me he’s interested in me and wants to see me more.

And like the bulge I saw in his slacks when he stood up from the table earlier.

“Hey, pretty girl.”

I don’t have to look up to know who that is. His presence is like a soft blanket.

When he’s around me, no matter how intimidating he might be, I always feel safe and even comforted. And feeling safe isn’t something I’m used to. It’s also something I’ll never take for granted.

“Hi.” I glance up at him from where I’m standing at a register, entering my tips. The club is mostly empty. The only people here are employees finishing their end-of-night tasks. Tonight was excellent. The best I’ve had so far money-wise—and that was with me taking three breaks.

“I came to walk you to your car,” he says as he steps so close to me that his chest nearly touches my shoulder.

My heart starts to race, and my core clenches. Without thinking, I lean into him slightly, breathing in his spicy scent.

“Oh, I don’t have a car. I take the bus. There’s a stop right out front, so there’s no need to walk me. Thank you for offering.”

Drake doesn’t say anything for several seconds; then, he swallows and clenches his jaw. Uh-oh. I know what that means. I said something he doesn’t like.

“You’re no longer riding the bus, Lily. Especially at night.”

My skin prickles at the warning in his voice. He’s so bossy. It’s in a way that’s different from when Jack was bossy. Drake never puts me down, and he seems to be most bossy when he’s worried about something I’m doing. Unfortunately for him, though, riding the bus is my only option, so he’s just going to have to deal with it.

“I don’t drive, and taking a cab is expensive. The bus is fine.”

His nostrils flare, and his gaze narrows. “The bus is not fine. Not for you. Especially not at night in the city. Why hasn’t security told me you were catching the bus?”

I stare up at him, unsure of what to say. Why would security tell him?

“I’m driving you to and from work from now on.”

My mouth falls open. This man is a bulldozer.

“Drake, you can’t do that. You’re already at work when I get here. I’m fine.”

His fingers capture my chin, holding me in place firmly so I can’t look anywhere but at his beautiful face and clenched jaw. “I’m driving you to and from work. It’s a safety issue. If you’re worried about being in a car alone with me, I’ll have my car service drive you. Either way, you’re not riding the bus. Understood?”

“I’m not worried about being alone with you,” I whisper.

Awesome argument.It’s true, though. Drake won’t hurt me. I may not be good at reading people, and I may not understand a lot of social cues, but I’m safe with this man. Physically anyway. I’m not so sure about emotionally.

“Good. Then I’ll wait for you to finish up and drive you home.”

“I’m almost done. I have three more receipts to enter, and I need to grab my coat and purse.”

Drake reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his eyes sparkling in the dim light. “I’ll get your stuff. What locker?”

I give him my locker number and the code, a warmth spreading low in my belly. Hannah’s husband does things like this for her, but other than that, I’ve never seen a man doing something like getting a woman’s coat for her. It’s sweet, and I feel a bit like what I’d imagine a princess would feel like.

“Be right back, baby.” Before he strides off toward the locker room, he leans in and presses a chaste kiss to my temple. I stare at his backside in shock, admiring the view. My skin tingles where his lips touched. Wow .

“You did great tonight, Lily. You’ve done fabulously all week.” Shelly saunters my way, a relaxed smile on her face.

My cheeks heat at her compliment. She’s a demanding boss, but she’s fair, and she always stops to check on me before we leave. Like she cares about how I’m handling things.

“Thank you, Shelly. Do you need me to do anything else before I go?”

“No. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Before you know it, you’ll be one of the lead cocktail servers here.”

I stand a little taller, trying to suppress the smile that’s threatening to break free. “Really? I mean, I don’t need to be a lead, but I’m doing good?”

Shelly reaches out and puts her hands on my shoulders, giving a slight squeeze. “Sweetie, you’re the best server I’ve ever worked with. I don’t know where you got your experience, but you’re good.”

Wincing, my smile falls slightly. “Thank you.”

She tilts her head slightly. “Your experience hasn’t come from a good place, has it? I’m sorry, Lily. I didn’t think before I spoke.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not. Was it a previous Dom?”

My eyes go round, and I shake my head a little too quickly. “No. I’ve never…I mean, I’m not, uh, a sub. I was a stay-at-home wife before, and my ex-husband was, well, he was demanding. So that’s where my experience comes from.”

“Your ex-husband sounds like a real asshole,” Shelly says firmly.

I giggle because the woman is blunt, but I appreciate her honesty. Jack really was an asshole.

“Yes. He is a true asshole.” I giggle a bit louder as the curse rolls off my tongue. That felt good. “A real dick. A dickish asshole.”

“I haven’t heard you swear once. You’ve spent five minutes with Shelly, and you’re swearing like a sailor.”

My giggle turns into a full belly laugh, and soon, Shelly is laughing along with me while Drake stares at us, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Sorry.” I wave my hand through the air, trying to get myself under control. “I’ve never used that sort of language before. It felt good. I won’t do it at work or around customers.”

Shelly snorts. “Sweetie, have you heard the filth that comes out of people’s mouths here? I think it’s fine if a curse word comes out once in a while. Especially if it makes you smile like that. Don’t you agree, Drake?”

I peer up at him from under my lashes, my heart lurching at the way he’s staring at me. Like he’s proud.

“I absolutely agree. Anything that makes you laugh and grin like that, you need to do more of, baby.”

Pressure builds between my legs. I love it when he calls me that. Really, whenever he calls me any type of endearment.

“I’m going to take Lily home. I’ll see you on Wednesday, Shelly.”

She nods. “Sounds good. Lily, put your feet up over the next few days.”

That’s my plan. Especially since I’m concerned about a flare-up. For the past six months since I’ve started taking my medication regularly, I haven’t had any issues, but my joints are feeling a bit stiff tonight.

“Here, baby,” Drake holds up my coat and helps me put it on. I dip my head to hide my smile. This might be normal for most people, but this is totally new for me. And I am soaking it up like a sponge. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Shelly gives us a wave as he nudges me toward the back of the club, where there’s an employee exit to the parking lot.

His car is sleek black, and it looks like it might go really fast. I think it’s some sort of sports car. Whatever it is, I’m a little nervous to touch anything as I climb in. It all looks so fancy with the shiny buttons and knobs.

Before I have the chance, Drake sets my purse on my lap and leans in to put my seatbelt on. The air crackles in the tight space. His arm brushes against my breast as he reaches over me. My nipple buds against the sensation, and the pressure that’s been building all night intensifies more. Is this what being turned on is like?

After I give him Hannah’s address, the drive starts off quietly. Eventually, he reaches over and takes my hand in his.

“What’s your favorite color, Lily?”

A smile tugs at my lips. “Pink. What’s yours?”

When I look over at him, he glances at me for a brief second. “Lately, it’s been whatever color you have on.”

My mouth goes into an O . How am I supposed to answer that? Thankfully, I don’t have to.

“Where did you live before you came to Seattle?”

I study his features under the dim glow of street lights passing by. “About two hours east of here. There’s a small town that is only a speck on a map. I lived deep up in the hills above that town. Off the grid for the most part other than power and water.”

His jaw flexes, so I decide to leave it at that. Every time I talk about my past, he seems to get upset, and I don’t like it.

“Have you always lived in Seattle?”

“Yes. We grew up here. The only time I left was for college.”

“You’ve always owned a BDSM club?”

Even though I’ve seen Drake every day this week, and we’ve exchanged small talk whenever we were around each other, I don’t actually know much of anything about him.

He chuckles, and the corners of his eyes crinkle with his smile. I like seeing him smile.

“No. Actually, Easton and I designed an app in college. We’re tech guys. Computers and software and stuff like that. Anyway, we sold the app for a lot of money, and around that time, we started exploring BDSM. We got the idea to open our own club not long after. Edge is more of a passion project for us. We still create new software and apps in our spare time.”

Hannah explained what apps were when I first got my phone, so I know what he’s talking about, but I never thought about how they’re created. Drake and Easton must be really smart.

“I thought tech guys were usually skinny and pale and wore glasses. That’s what I see on TV.”

Drake snorts. “You hit the nail on the head, baby. We were exactly those guys without the glasses. In school, we were tall and gangly and ridiculously pale. After we sold the first app, we decided we wanted to reinvent ourselves. So we joined a gym and started going outdoors as much as we could.”

My cheeks hurt from how much I’m smiling. Somehow, I can’t picture Drake as a geek. He’s so mouthwatering. Though I’m guessing despite being skinny and pale back then, he was probably still just as attractive.

“Did you go to school?”

I fidget with the hem of my dress, keeping my gaze downcast. “Not regular school. Where I lived, they held school, but the girls stop going when they’re sixteen.”

“What? Why?”

When I don’t answer right away, he squeezes my hand. “I’m sorry, Lily. I’m asking too many questions. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

Shaking my head, I let out a deep breath. “It’s okay. Until I got away from there, I never knew how unconventional my life was. Now that I know, I’m embarrassed.”

“Hey,” he says softly. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. You had no control over how your parents raised you.”

I stay silent for a few seconds, gathering my courage. “Girls leave school at sixteen because that’s when they get married.”

The car swerves slightly. Drake is squeezing my hand so hard it’s almost painful, and when I glance at him, his jaw looks like it’s about to explode.

“You were forced to marry someone at sixteen?” he asks in a low, deadly tone.

“Yes. I mean, it wasn’t legal through the court or anything. It was just a spiritual ceremony.”

“How old was the guy you married?”

Warning bells go off in my head. Answering his question is only going to make things worse.

“Lily,” he growls.

“He was twenty-five,” I blurt out.

“Jesus.”

“I’m sorry.”

Drake pulls over to the side of the road and puts the car in park before he turns toward me and cups my face between his warm hands. “Don’t ever apologize for your past, Lily. Do you understand me? Never. The only people who owe any sort of apology are the people who abused you.”

“They never hit me.”

“It doesn’t matter. Abuse isn’t always physical, baby. What they did to you was abuse, and it was illegal. A grown man took advantage of you when you were just a child. That’s rape.”

My head spins, and I think I might throw up. Is what he’s saying true? Deep down, I know it is. Tears burn my eyes, but I blink them away.

He keeps hold of my face and kisses my forehead before he releases me. “They’re going to pay for hurting you.”

Then, he straightens, puts the car in drive, and takes off toward Hannah’s house.

What does he mean they’re going to pay? That sounds terrifying. It also sounds like a promise. “My parents are already gone. They had me later in life and died not long after I married.”

When he parks in the driveway and shuts his car off, I turn toward him nervously. “Thank you for the ride home. I’m sorry I upset you.”

He squeezes the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white. “You did nothing to upset me, Lily. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me a little bit about your past.”

With a trembling hand, I reach out and touch his forearm. I’m not sure why I do it, but it feels right and I think it must be. He lets go of the wheel and turns to me, studying my face.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asks.

“Shelly told me to put my feet up on my days off.”

His lips curl up in a smile. “You’re an obedient little thing, aren’t you? Too bad Shelly isn’t your Domme.”

I jerk back slightly, giggling. “She’s a Domme? I should have guessed.”

He chuckles. “I’d like to see you tomorrow. I’ll make sure you have plenty of time to put your feet up. Can you be ready by noon?”

Butterflies erupt in my tummy. “Um, sure. I mean, yes. I’ll be ready.”

“Good. I want you to wear one of your dresses that isn’t black. And wear those flat sandals I saw you in the other day. Understood?”

My clit flutters, and my cheeks heat. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl,” he murmurs. “I’ll walk you to the door.”