Page 31 of Theirs to Desire (Club M: Boxed Set)

FIONA

T he sun’s rays streaming into my room wake me up. Adrian and Brody are nowhere to be seen. I get to my feet, wincing as yesterday’s memories flood back. There’s a part of me that wants to run away as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, my car is still back at Club M.

Last night, I’d barely looked around the one-room cabin. Though it’s small, it’s gorgeous. It’s all wood and glass. Built at the edge of a lake, the view from the window is of water. If there are other cabins in sight, I can’t see them.

Inside, the cottage is L-shaped, with the kitchen taking up one end, and the bedroom the other. The living room, with a wood-burning fireplace, bridges the two.

The kitchen has butcher block counter-tops and stainless steel appliances, and looks like it wouldn’t be out of place in a sleek condo in the city.

The living room and bedroom are more rustic.

The two leather couches show signs of wear and tear.

The coffee table is battered. The bed is covered by a quilt that’s obviously handmade.

The place looks comfortable and lived-in.

“Good morning.” The door swings open and Adrian comes in, carrying a case of wine. Brody follows him with two bags of groceries, which he sets down on the kitchen island. “Want some coffee, Fiona?” he asks me.

“Yes please.” I’m feeling a little awkward after last night. “Did you guys go shopping?”

Adrian chuckles. “No, this was Xavier. He swung by this morning to see if you were okay. The wine is his peace offering.”

Brody grinds a handful of coffee beans and gets the coffeemaker going. He pulls a bottle of wine out of the case to look at the label. “Nice,” he says appreciatively. “Here you go, Fiona. When Xavier Leforte apologizes, it’s with a case of wine that’s worth a few thousand dollars.”

“That’s generous.” Xavier would have known that Raymond was a member of the club. He’d deliberately hidden that piece of information from me, all so that I would investigate the blackmailer in his fucking club.

I give into a moment of pure anger, but it vanishes as quickly as it arrives. Had I not seen Raymond, I’d never have confronted my demons. I’d have spent a lifetime pretending they didn’t exist. “This is a great place. Do you guys spend all your weekends here?”

“Sadly, no,” Adrian replies with a smile.

“We can’t get away from the city that often.

” He clears his throat. “I bought the property after Sandy died. I needed a place to mourn, and the city was too noisy. Here, in the quiet of the cabin, I could hear my thoughts, and I could make my peace with what had happened.”

Oh. It’s the first time either man has told me anything intimate. It feels nice.

A brief silence falls over the three of us. Brody breaks it by handing me a cup of coffee. “Here you go, Fiona. Milk, sugar?”

I decline both. “Xavier asked us if we were going to head back to the club tonight,” Adrian says as I sip my coffee. “I said no. I’ll give you a ride back to Club M if you’d like, or…” His eyes find mine. “You could stay here for the weekend.”

“Here?”

“No pressure,” Adrian adds. “This isn’t about sex. It’s not about bondage and submission either. You’re our guest. All you need to do is have fun.”

“Well, that’s not precisely true.” Brody grins as he pulls a carton of eggs out of the grocery bag. “You’ll have to stroke my ego by telling me I’m an excellent cook. And Adrian likes his taste in wine complimented.”

“I do not,” Adrian says, a note of indignation in his voice.

“Please,” Brody scoffs, laughing. “You absolutely do. You hover over people with a bottle in your hand, waiting for them to take a sip and tell you all about undertones of cherry and vanilla.” He grins at me. “Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”

“Duly noted.” I know what I should do. I should head back to Club M and continue my search for the blackmailer. But I don’t want to do that. What I really want to do is stay here and get to know these two men better.

“Do you need a hand with breakfast?”

Brody shakes his head. “Nope. I’ve got it. Relax, make yourself at home. There’s no TV here, but there is Wi-fi.”

I can’t remember the last time I took a proper vacation. I walk to the window and take in the view. The vegetation is very different from the small town I grew up in, but the feel of the place, calm, peaceful, and serene, reminds me of home. “Do you have any neighbors here?”

“There’s another cabin about a mile down the road,” Adrian replies. “You can’t really see it from here.” He stretches lazily. “Do you want to hit the shower first, or should I?”

Shower with me. I bite those words back before I blurt them out. “Could I go first?”I just realized I’m standing around in my pajamas. Last night, I’d been too tired to care that my t-shirt and sleep shorts are faded and ratty, but suddenly, I don’t want to look like a slob.

I’m definitely attracted to Adrian and Brody. After last night, my attraction might even have morphed into something deeper. But I need to pause, to catch my breath.

If I jump into a BDSM relationship with Adrian and Brody, I want to do it wholeheartedly.

It needs to be about more than just scratching an itch.