“Well, how about the one after that?”
Now Kaden looked tense. “I’m cancelling my classes for a while. I’m taking some time off.”
Baxter struck Seth as one of those kinds who couldn’t take a hint, had maybe learned his social skills on the free porn sites. “Why are you doing that?”
Tony stepped in. “None of your business.”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Well, you are now. Leave them alone. They’re not done with their scene yet.”
“You’re here, and that guy’s with them. What’s up?”
Kaden grabbed the bag. He motioned Seth to follow him and made a beeline for the exit, Leah’s hand firmly clamped in his.
Seth stayed close behind them and glanced back to see Baxter hurrying after them.
“Hey, Kaden, wait up,” Baxter called.
Kaden swore under his breath and tossed his keys to Seth, handed Leah off to him. “Get her in the car. Now.”
Seth didn’t question him. He hurried Leah to the car and put her in the backseat. Then he locked her in and returned to Kaden’s side. He wasn’t sure what this asshole’s problem was, but he’d be damned if he’d let Kaden face him alone.
Baxter glanced at Seth standing behind Kaden. “Kaden, look, if I pissed you off I’m sorry. I just want to sign up for a class.”
“I told you, I’m taking time off from teaching. You’ll have to take a class from someone else.”
Seth wanted to deck the asshole.
“What’s going on?” Baxter asked.
kaden’sdying
“No offense but it’s none of your business. Come on, Seth.”
“Look, I want to learn to treat my subs the way you treat Leah. Everyone says you’re the best—”
Kaden whirled, suddenly in the guy’s face. Seth worried he’d have to pull Kaden back. “Don’t you ever think what you do and what I do are even remotely related, Baxter.”
“Come on, I told you, I’ll pay a lot of money to have a private training session with her! Please?”
Kaden shoved the guy. Seth pulled him back, getting between them. “He’s not worth it,” Seth growled in Kaden’s ear, now worried. He’d never seen Kaden blow his cool before. Ever. And if he didn’t stay focused on getting Kaden in the car, Seth knew he would deck the slimy son of a bitch himself for even thinking about touching Leah. “Let’s go, Kade. Dude, let’s get Leah home.”
That broke through Kaden’s anger. He let Seth guide him to the car, then slipped into the backseat with Leah while Seth slid behind the wheel.
Baxter stood with his jaw gaping, watching them leave.
“Who the fuck was that?” Seth glanced in the rearview mirror. Leah was curled in Kaden’s lap, his face buried in her hair.
“Baxter’s a prick. Real estate attorney. He’s one of the assholes I was talking about who abuses subs. I had him in one of my classes. He was only worried about how hard he could hit someone. He’s a real jerk.”
Kaden didn’t have to say anything else. Seth fought the urge to turn the car around and pound on the guy himself. The thought of that bastard wanting to lay a finger on Leah…
At home, Kaden helped Leah from the car, then scooped her into his arms and carried her inside. Seth followed them and dropped the duffel bag on the couch, unsure where it should go. He started for the kitchen to pour himself a drink when Kaden returned from their bedroom. Without a word he hugged Seth. After a moment, he released him.
“Thanks, man.”
Seth nodded. “Yeah.”
Kaden stepped back and took a deep breath. “That’s why I need you,” he hoarsely whispered. “That’s why she needs you. Assholes like him. Problem is, there’s a lot of assholes out there who aren’t as obviously obnoxious as Baxter, who can sucker a sub in and then they abuse them. Or they play and drop them. They look like nice guys on the outside.”
“Is she afraid of him?”
He nodded. “Not just him. After a scene she’s extremely vulnerable. We never hang around after. We go, scene, and I bring her home immediately. If we hang around, it’s before, never after.”
Seth understood. That made sense. He could feel it in her, the way she seemed so…docile wasn’t the right word, but it was close.
“Tell her good night for me.”
Kaden smiled. “You can go tell her, if you want.”
Seth shook his head. “No. I’m good.” His cock had finally softened. The last thing he needed to see was her in that outfit. Or wearing even less.
Kaden patted him on the back and returned to their bedroom.
Seth found a bottle of bourbon and started to get a glass, then took another look at it.
No, maybe this wasn’t the best way to go tonight.
He walked to the den and closed the door behind him. His guitar was way out of tune. He hadn’t played it in ages. It took him a little while to tune it. He spent an hour trying to remember his way through old favorites. Mostly folksy stuff like Gordon Lightfoot, and even some Jimmy Buffett.
It felt good to play again. Their moms had made Kaden and him take guitar together. While they fought it at the time, when they realized they were both decent at it and the girls loved it, they quit complaining and had fun with it.
How many hours had he and Kaden played together, Leah sitting at their feet and leaning against Kaden or even against him, singing together? Playing for her.
kaden’sdying
His fingers fumbled the chords. He tried again, blinking back tears.
The soft snick of the latch startled him. The den door swung open, and Leah stood in the doorway.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded and stepped into the room. She wore the smaller black collar and a long T-shirt. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Neither could I.”
“Can I come in?”
He started to say of course she could, it was her house, then he remembered Kade’s advice.
He nodded.
She pushed the door shut behind her. “We’ve had some good times,” she wistfully said. “Lots of nights singing together.”
Seth nodded, feeling guilty that those times hadn’t been as many lately as they once were.
kaden’sdying
How many more nights did they have? “Yeah.”
She sat at his feet and rested her head against his knee. It was something she’d done countless times over the years, but now the gesture took on a poignant new meaning for him.
For her too, probably, he suspected.
“Play ‘Come Monday’ for me,” she softly asked. “Please?”
One of her favorites. While he knew his voice wasn’t as good as Kade’s, he softly sang to her, trying not to cry his way through the words.
He realized at the end of the song that she’d fallen asleep. The door swung open again and Kade looked in.
“Is she finally out?” he whispered.
Seth nodded and carefully put his guitar aside, trying not to jostle Leah. “How long have you been standing there?”
“I knew she came in here. I wanted to make sure she was okay.” He walked in and carefully scooped her into his arms.
Seth beat his jealous pang back into submission.
He didn’t care what Kaden said. She was still Kaden’s wife.
“Good night, Seth,” he whispered.
Seth nodded and waited for a moment, until he was sure Kaden had returned to their room.
He quietly closed the den door and picked up his guitar again.
Chapter Six
Seth awoke the next morning, feeling drained and sluggish. He’d made it to bed a little after three a.m., but his sleep was anything but soothing.
So many conflicting emotions swirling through him—