Secrets Dispelled Page 5

  “How long are we likely to be? At yours.”

  The kitten blinked, stared at Coll and yawned. Coll smiled and stroked its ears. “Does that mean you want to bring him?”

  Finn grinned, and her eyes sparkled with impish glee. “He’d be all alone and he’s only a baby. His mama’s gone, his siblings are gone, poor all alone puss. He needs his human around.” She put one hand to her forehead. “Is that dramatic enough to sway you?”

  Coll chuckled. “Well, why not, I did say we’d come and collect him.”

  “Oh yeah. Damn, my Scarlett O’Hara act was all in vain, eh?”

  “Not at all. You’ll be changing your profession next. This week Diomhair Castle estate, the following The Old Vic.”

  “Nah, I hate being indoors. The estate is safe.” She sobered suddenly. “Well, I hope so. Shoot, Coll, what the hell is going on?”

  “That’s what we’re going to find out. Right, you grab what the cat needs and we’ll take him with us. Maybe bring a change of clothes for yourself. I’ve a feeling no one will think it’s a good idea for you to be here by yourself and I’ve got a spare room.”

  “Congratulations. So have I.”

  “Sarcasm doesn’t become you, kitten.”

  “Seriously, Coll. I don’t really mean to be sarcastic, but having to let someone else take charge of your life isn’t easy. If I need a bodyguard, other than Depp, I’ll make up the bed, I promise.”

  “Good, it’s booked by me then. You know, it’s no sign of weakness to accept help when it’s needed. I’ll be here for you.” No way was he prepared to let anyone else take that role. Coll didn’t stop to analyze his reactions. Gut feeling worked for him every time, and that told him whatever happened Finn was his. “I don’t think Depp will be as effective. He might purr loudly, I can growl. He’ll spit and claw, I’ll do more.”

  She opened her mouth and he held his hand up in the universal ‘hold on’ gesture. To his amazement she did.

  “But not tonight,” Coll said. “Because not only is it late, it’s odds on Jeff brings wine and it’ll be a brainstorming session. Goodness knows how long it’ll take. So I’ll ask you to stop with me, then once your bit is over, okay, if it’s over first”—he forestalled that question quickly—“you can slope off to bed—if that’s okay?”

  Why did her answer seem so important? More than the question did?

  Thank goodness it seemed there were no airs and graces or stupid missish-ness about Finn. She didn’t hesitate.

  “Of course it is and I will. Mind you, don’t for one minute think you’ll do anything involving my work and not involve me. Gah, that sounds complicated but it isn’t. My job, my involvement. End of.”

  Coll shrugged. “Not up to me, kitten. Argue with your bosses.”

  “Oh, I will. Now, tomorrow is my day off so you needn’t worry about getting up at four a.m. to bring me back to get ready for work.” She rolled her eyes. “And making the coffee because I tell you now that is not one of my skills, and I’m pants without at least three cups. Luckily I’m used to my version of coffee, but I always prefer someone else’s.”

  He raised one eyebrow in mock horror, and she spread her hands wide.

  “I always get someone else to do it if I can. My skills are in other directions.” She paused. “Such as cups of tea, omelettes, and”—her grin was pure sin—“golf.”

  Golf. What about in bed? That thought Coll kept to himself. He tutted instead.

  “You can’t make coffee. Woman, that’s awful. It should be the first thing anyone learns once they’re weaned. It’s a necessity. Subbie 101, how to make good coffee for your Sir. It’s no good, the marriage is off.”

  She giggled again. “Whew, lucky escape, eh?”

  He shook his head. “Actually, no, I’ll bloody teach you. Or make our coffee myself.”

  “Our coffee?”

  “Of course, I’d not make it just for myself.”

  She gave him a shaken look, went red, passed the kitten to him and left the room.

  “Life,” Coll said to the unconcerned animal, “is about to get interesting.”

  * * * *

  Half an hour later, they were back at Diomhair, Depp in his basket fast asleep, coffee made—by Coll—on the table and the fire in the lounge banked up. The rain had stopped at last but the temperature was a good ten degrees lower than it should be for the time of the year.

  Coll passed a plate of warm scones to Finn and sat down next to her. He watched, amused as she let her fingers hover over them until she selected one, which to him looked no different to any other.

  “What?” She’d obviously caught him watching her.

  “Why that one?”

  “Ah…well, now you’re asking for my deep, dark secrets. Dare I share them?”

  He inclined his head. “Kitten, before long I’ll know everything about you, right down to your knicker size and who you sat next to in primary one.”

  Her eyes widened. “Really? Says who and why?”

  “Me and because as your Dom, it’s my duty to know everything about you.” God almighty, what a load of shite. Everything relevant, yes, but who she sat next to at school? Listen to yourself, Cummins. Up your own arse is an understatement.

  “Rubbish. But hey, wonder no more. I looked for the most currants, size twelve and Aimee Duncan. Anyway you’re not my Dom, so it’s irrelevant.” Finn finished speaking in a rush and stared at him over the top of her cup as she sipped her coffee. “God, this coffee is pure nectar.” Depp meowed, jumped, leaped onto Finn’s lap, turned around, settled down and began to purr. Finn stroked him in an absent manner as she continued to look at Coll.

  From where Coll sat, he could see the soft sheen of perspiration that slicked over her skin, and the way her breathing had sped up. She might deny it, but she was more than interested. His cock decided it needed zip marks up its length as her interest registered and he willed it to soften and not worry her.

  “Would you like me to be?” he asked in a voice known to his friends as ‘gentle the sub’. “Be your Dom. Show you what you want and need?”

  The only noise in the room was the soft purr of Depp, and the occasional splutter of the coals in the grate. Coll waited patiently as he watched various expressions cross Finn’s face. He appreciated the fact she was taking her time to consider his question before she answered it. After all in one was it was as big a proposal as one of marriage. Some might say bigger and equally as binding. It wasn’t something he’d ask lightly even if he had posed it a lot earlier than he’d intended.

  “Do you mean it?” she asked eventually. She passed Depp to him and stood up to pace to the window and back.

  Coll stroked Depp until the kitten stopped kneading the material of his—Coll’s—jeans. “Of course.” The cat settled down again and Coll waited for Finn’s next question. He decided she was the sort of person who wanted every little detail in place before she made any decisions.

  “Why?”

  I knew she’d want more. Coll considered his response. “That’s somewhat difficult to answer. I think there’s something between us we need to explore. You might not realize it but every inch of you shouts sub, and every part of my Dom shouts ‘mine’.”

  She rolled her eyes and he bit back his immediate thought of, ‘sassy subs need punishing in the nicest possible way’. Instead he waited to see what reply she’d give him.

  “Of course I understand I’m a sub if I’m anything. I’m not stupid. And that, Sir, is not sarcasm, just fact.”

  He could have high-fived when she called him Sir. What a mass of contradictions she was, and he loved it. If they did get together properly, life was definitely going to be interesting. “I’m glad to hear it, kitten. And thank you for calling me Sir.”

  Finn blushed. “It just sort of slipped out. You see, I read. Lots of books and lots about BDSM, both fiction and non-fiction. I know that if, and that’s a big if, by the way, I did decide I wanted to learn more personally, I’d be a sub. I ha
ve no desire to take charge in that way. Well”—she sniggered unexpectedly—“not unless my Dom—if I had one of course—asked me to. I do that enough in my everyday life. More than enough.”

  That sounded positive. However Coll realized Finn hadn’t finished.

  “Mind you,” she continued in a musing tone. “Do I want to learn about it in person? That’s the million-dollar question and to be honest, I’m not sure I do.” She sat down again and picked up her coffee mug. Depp immediately moved from Coll to Finn. If cats could give disapproving stares, Coll was damned sure Depp gave him one.

  Damn and hellfire.

  “Why not?” He wasn’t going to persuade her that deep down it was what she desired and needed. Not yet. She needed to admit it.

  Finn bit her lip.

  “Do not do that, kitten. The only marks on you will be mine.”

  ‘Fuck’ may be not the right thing to say now.

  Finn stared at him and slowly put her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger and pulled it away from her teeth. It was teasing, taunting and bloody sexy.

  “I think it’s time you told me about your lifestyle, Coll,” she said seriously. “About Coll the Dom and what he expects from a sub. Why you think I’m the one and what you think I want and need.”

  The relief that filled him was overwhelming and once more it was hard not to high-five or punch the air. Instead Coll counted to ten and forced himself to calm down. “Thank you, kitten.”

  “Well, I’m not saying it’ll go anywhere,” she said in a warning voice, “but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t interested, hypothetically anyway. I mean it’s one thing to enjoy reading about it and another to enjoy it on me, or whatever.”

  “I understand that, kitten.” Oh, how he did. “Which is why if we do decided to explore what we’d enjoy together, we’ll take it at a pace that suits both of us. And on that note, I reckon there’s not a lot of point saying very much now as I think we’ll have the others here in a few minutes. All I will say is, I work with my hands.”

  She looked puzzled. “I know you’re a woodcarver. I’ve seen your stuff and it’s gorgeous.”

  “Thank you. So you’ll understand I like to create patterns.”

  “Yeah, I get that, but now I’m confused.” Finn put her hand on his arm. “Is that on purpose or am I just being thick here?”

  There was a loud ringing noise. Coll stood up and stretched.

  “Never thick, just not used to what I say and how. You will be, soon. That’s the others. I’ll buzz them up. But I’ll add, to give you something to ponder over, I’m considered to be an expert in Shibari and I can scribe very delicately on skin with a needle or scriber, just like I can create patterns in wood with a hammer and chisel. I had a brilliant mentor in Master Alex. Once I saw him scribe, I knew without a doubt that was the way forward for me. Carve in wood forever, scribe on skin for now. Oh, and I have a way with clamps you’d never imagine.”

  She gulped and raised one eyebrow. “I’m glad you didn’t mention the hammer and chisel and skin in the same sentence.”

  Coll laughed. Would she ever lose the ability to surprise him? He hoped not.

  Chapter Seven

  Two hours later, Finn blinked and stifled a yawn, as their—she thought of them as their, as everyone seemed to couple her and Coll together—friends made their farewells and left the castle. It hadn’t seemed at all strange to be part of a noisy arguing and very much Dom and sub group. Not even one where the main subject was how to string Donny, her boss, up by his balls.

  Lachy, both Donny’s uncle and boss to Finn, had looked as if he was about to have an apoplexy when Finn recounted what had gone on. She decided in the end to be honest about everything she knew. She didn’t say a word about Donny’s presumed whereabouts but Lachy had grimaced.

  “In bloody Mandy McGee no doubt. I thought he’d seen the light about the bike.”

  Finn wondered what on earth Lachy was talking about. Coll must have realized.

  “The village bike, everyone rides her,” he elaborated.

  Finn firmed her lips so as not to giggle. She’d never heard that one, and the way they all referred to the screwing as him in her, not in her bed, tickled her sense of humor.

  As Coll shut the door on Jeff, the last to go with a ‘yeah, okay, we’ll see you tomorrow for lunch,’ Finn stretched. Depp, who’d been on her lap, yowled and stood by the door expectantly. He’d learned within a few minutes his litter tray was in the utility and his food in the kitchen.

  “Okay, cat, here we go.” Coll opened the door into the kitchen area and turned to Finn. “You go to bed, I’ll sort this one out. Coffee what time?”

  “I’m salivating. Around eight maybe? That’ll give me a lie in.”

  The memory of his ‘eight is a lie in, you’re a hard task master’ and his laugh accompanied her into her room. She was sure he was usually up well before that. Mind you, she also guessed he wasn’t generally up quite as late—or should that be so early.

  The bed was big, soft and didn’t have all the interesting attachments that his did. Finn wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or disappointed. She switched the light off and snuggled down.

  There was a tap at the door. “Finn, if you’re decent, can I bring you a bedfellow? A furry one.”

  She giggled. “Of course.”

  The door opened and the shape of Coll was silhouetted in the light from the corridor. Finn switched on the bedside lamp, conscious that she’d gone to bed naked. The castle was a lot warmer than her cottage and the flannelette, pink elephant jammies she usually wore were way too hot. Now she wished she’d at least put a vest top on.

  Ah well, the duvet’s over me.

  “Would he not settle?”

  Coll rolled his eyes. “Understatement of the year. I could hear him from my room. Rather than have no door left or a squashed cat, I took him into my room, but he still yowled. I decided you’d be his security blanket.”

  He dropped the kitten on the bed. “Do you want his basket or is he used to sharing your bed?”

  “No, he is not, the chancer. He stops in his basket in front of the Aga.”

  “That’s it then, I’ll have to get a basket in front of the Aga.” Coll sat on the edge of her bed. “Evidently without one just doesn’t hack it for him. We won’t want to be three in a bed.”

  True enough. Not that she had any intention of saying that out loud.

  Coll leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Sleep tight and we’ll talk a bit more tomorrow.” He moved back and Finn missed his warmth, and wished he’d take things just a little bit further.

  Tongues?

  “I’ll make a list of my questions.” She croaked the words. Her mouth wouldn’t work properly as he stood up and walked to the door.

  “I’ll think of some suitable answers then. Night, kitten, and, er, kitten…” He went out as she giggled then stared at the cat curled up on top of the duvet.

  “Don’t get used to this. It’s for one night only.”

  Depp miaowed.

  * * * *

  Three weeks later she remembered those words.

  Life had gone on more or less as usual. They’d decided to leave Donny alone and watch him carefully. His wife, who they discovered had an idea what her husband was up to and had no intentions of hurrying back, was easily persuaded to stop away for another month, stating her mother wasn’t well enough to be left. Finn continued to do her work and act as if nothing had happened. And the others made plans.

  Her talk with Coll and their look around the club had been postponed so many times that if she hadn’t seen his frustration, she would have thought he’d changed his mind. She knew he hadn’t. The expression in his eyes whenever they were unobserved told her that.

  However they were both on a knife edge.

  Coll leaned against the work surface in the kitchen with a mug of coffee in his hands and stared moodily into it. Dressed in scuffed work boots, well-worn jeans, which were white
at the seams and a chunky cable-knit jumper that reflected the color of his eyes, he looked mad, bad and dangerous to know. As well as hot, hunky, and her newly coined word for how he made her feel, horniferous.

  Finn’s pussy muscled clenched and released as she took her fill of him. Each night they’d talked, just a little, and now with some time to spare, he’d promised to show her around the club that night, whilst it was empty.

  She thought she had an inkling of the man he was, especially when he’d been frank about his favored proclivities. “To trace a design on skin, just as I do on wood, is pleasure beyond anything else. Be it with my scriber, the tip of a knife, my Shibari ropes or a flogger. What I achieve, how my sub flies and takes herself further than she ever thought possible, is more than a reward. It’s my reason for whom I am, what I am. It’s…” Coll had hesitated. “It’s me.” He’d looked faintly embarrassed, but she knew what he meant.

  “As much a part of you as your wood carving is?”

  “More probably. I could manage not to wood carve, I couldn’t manage not to be a Dom.”

  She loved his honestly, but it made her think. Every day this man became more important to her, but she still wasn’t sure if she could be a true part of his life. He’d made no bones about wanting her as his sub. That in itself didn’t bother her, but scribing and flogging weren’t things she thought she’d be happy with. As they were only one part of BDSM, it hadn’t troubled her unduly until they spoke in more depth. Now she knew she could never ask him not to do such things. His eyes lit up when he described the artistic side of scribing. And she was sure she would never be able to accept him doing anything to someone else and not her. Not if they were involved in other ways.

  He’d shown her his toys and implements and afterwards in the privacy of her own room, Finn had used the memory of how he held them—like a lover—and described them to get herself off. It had been one of the best climaxes in an age. Nevertheless it wasn’t enough. She needed more, even if she wasn’t quite ready for the scriber and flogger to be used on her for any length of time. She did want to feel…