at Caelan .
“Don’t look at him to protect you. I did say you and Micah
deserved a night to blow off some steam, but I didn’t say you were to choke the
living shit out Gabriel when we just got him to step foot back into the club.”
Gabriel watched in amazement as Jude actually flushed. “He said
he was going to ask Deborah for my family’s secret blend…”
She studied Jude for a moment, her expression perplexed. “And
your idea of an appropriate response is to choke him?”
Gabriel had seen enough. “We were screwing around, Liv . Cut the man some slack.”
“Men.” She shook her head. “Unbelievable. Give them good food
and a few beers and they revert back to the caveman days.”
“Sorry, Mistress.” Jude gave her a small, hopeful smile.
She softened a bit, and cupped Jude’s cheek. “You’re forgiven as
long as you didn’t tear up your knee again.” When he shook his head, she
sighed. “Fine. All’s forgiven as long as there’s no more horsing around up
here…and you bring me down a steak.”
Jude nodded. “Of course.”
* * * *
Leaning back in his chair, Gabriel was tempted to undo the top
button on his jeans. Damned if the steaks hadn’t been as delicious as he’d
remembered. He was more relaxed than he could remember being in a long time.
“Damn that was one of the best steaks I’ve had in a long time. You sure you
won’t cough it up, Jude?”
Across the table, Jude laughed as he tossed his wadded-up paper
towel on the table. There was no fine linen or china here tonight. Just
heavy-duty paper plates, plastic solo cups and a roll of paper towels. “Nope, I
don’t care how many times you ask. The recipe is gonna stay mine.”
“But it won’t keep me from asking. One of these days you’ll give
it up.” Gabriel reached for his beer. “Yep…one of these days…”
Jude snorted, before leaning forward to point his finger at
Gabriel. “ Kinda like you’re going to give up living
in the past? Now there’s something I might actually give it up for.”
“Way to go, you asshole,” Micah growled throwing his empty cup
at Jude. “We’re supposed to ease him into it. Not just lambaste him with it.”
Jude scowled, knocking the cup away from him. “Why pussyfoot
around it? Sara’s dead, and he needs to move on.”
Gabriel’s relaxation flew out the window at the mention of
Sara’s name. “Is that why you asked me out tonight because you think I’m trying
to crawl into the grave with Sara?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that…” Caelan was trying to be diplomatic. “…but we’re concerned about you…”
“Concerned.” Jude shook his head. “You haven’t been the same
since her death. You never come to the club anymore. You just started hosting
the munches again at the restaurant, but other than a brief hello to everyone,
you disappear into your office until it’s over. That’s not the Gabriel the
community knows. Then you get pissed because we worry about you.”
Anger rose in Gabriel. If it weren’t for the table between him
and the other man, he’d have decked the asshole. “I’m not going to sit here and
discuss what you think is a proper mourning time and what isn’t.”
“We’re not trying to do that, Gabe,” Caelan reassured him as he placed his hand on Gabriel’s arm.
Shrugging it off, he stood. “I think it’s time for me to go
home.”
“Don’t.” For the first time since the subject had been brought
up, Dominic spoke up from the end of the table. “If anyone here knows what
you’re going through here, it’s me. Don’t shut us out. Don’t take the route I
took.”
The melancholy in Dominic’s voice wasn’t a surprise. During
Katrina, the Cajun had lost his submissive because he hadn’t wanted to abandon
his property. Gabriel softened a bit, the man did know what he was going
through - at least the part about losing a submissive. None of the men present
knew about the baby and he was going to keep it that way.
“So what
“Don’t look at him to protect you. I did say you and Micah
deserved a night to blow off some steam, but I didn’t say you were to choke the
living shit out Gabriel when we just got him to step foot back into the club.”
Gabriel watched in amazement as Jude actually flushed. “He said
he was going to ask Deborah for my family’s secret blend…”
She studied Jude for a moment, her expression perplexed. “And
your idea of an appropriate response is to choke him?”
Gabriel had seen enough. “We were screwing around, Liv . Cut the man some slack.”
“Men.” She shook her head. “Unbelievable. Give them good food
and a few beers and they revert back to the caveman days.”
“Sorry, Mistress.” Jude gave her a small, hopeful smile.
She softened a bit, and cupped Jude’s cheek. “You’re forgiven as
long as you didn’t tear up your knee again.” When he shook his head, she
sighed. “Fine. All’s forgiven as long as there’s no more horsing around up
here…and you bring me down a steak.”
Jude nodded. “Of course.”
* * * *
Leaning back in his chair, Gabriel was tempted to undo the top
button on his jeans. Damned if the steaks hadn’t been as delicious as he’d
remembered. He was more relaxed than he could remember being in a long time.
“Damn that was one of the best steaks I’ve had in a long time. You sure you
won’t cough it up, Jude?”
Across the table, Jude laughed as he tossed his wadded-up paper
towel on the table. There was no fine linen or china here tonight. Just
heavy-duty paper plates, plastic solo cups and a roll of paper towels. “Nope, I
don’t care how many times you ask. The recipe is gonna stay mine.”
“But it won’t keep me from asking. One of these days you’ll give
it up.” Gabriel reached for his beer. “Yep…one of these days…”
Jude snorted, before leaning forward to point his finger at
Gabriel. “ Kinda like you’re going to give up living
in the past? Now there’s something I might actually give it up for.”
“Way to go, you asshole,” Micah growled throwing his empty cup
at Jude. “We’re supposed to ease him into it. Not just lambaste him with it.”
Jude scowled, knocking the cup away from him. “Why pussyfoot
around it? Sara’s dead, and he needs to move on.”
Gabriel’s relaxation flew out the window at the mention of
Sara’s name. “Is that why you asked me out tonight because you think I’m trying
to crawl into the grave with Sara?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that…” Caelan was trying to be diplomatic. “…but we’re concerned about you…”
“Concerned.” Jude shook his head. “You haven’t been the same
since her death. You never come to the club anymore. You just started hosting
the munches again at the restaurant, but other than a brief hello to everyone,
you disappear into your office until it’s over. That’s not the Gabriel the
community knows. Then you get pissed because we worry about you.”
Anger rose in Gabriel. If it weren’t for the table between him
and the other man, he’d have decked the asshole. “I’m not going to sit here and
discuss what you think is a proper mourning time and what isn’t.”
“We’re not trying to do that, Gabe,” Caelan reassured him as he placed his hand on Gabriel’s arm.
Shrugging it off, he stood. “I think it’s time for me to go
home.”
“Don’t.” For the first time since the subject had been brought
up, Dominic spoke up from the end of the table. “If anyone here knows what
you’re going through here, it’s me. Don’t shut us out. Don’t take the route I
took.”
The melancholy in Dominic’s voice wasn’t a surprise. During
Katrina, the Cajun had lost his submissive because he hadn’t wanted to abandon
his property. Gabriel softened a bit, the man did know what he was going
through - at least the part about losing a submissive. None of the men present
knew about the baby and he was going to keep it that way.
“So what
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