Young, Allyson - Absolute Perfection [Aspire 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (10 page)

The phone rang just as he polished the backsplash clean, noting the chip in the corner of one of the small tiles. It would be a story to tell their children when they were old enough to notice it. One of those “how Daddy pissed Mommy off and made him feel like a stupid ass” kind of stories.

“Andreas.”

“You’ve dug yourself a fairly deep hole, George.”
Warren
’s dry tone said it all.

“It appears that I have,
Warren
. How is Iris?”

“Sleeping. Haley gave her something for her upset stomach. She was in shock, I think. I suspect believing she was a ringer for Jane quite overwhelmed her.”

George thought quickly.
Warren
wasn’t accusing him of anything. He said, cautiously, “You must see how different they are?”

“Definitely. Gordon and I remember Jane well. She was highly sought after as a sub but was set on you. We Doms noticed her, and many lusted after her. She was lovely.”

“But?” George heard something unfinished in
Warren
’s comments.

“She wasn’t what most of us want in a sub, George. I won’t hold back, although I appreciate she was your wife and all. She was shallow and selfish in her search for pleasure, and she was interested in money, not submission.”

George sat back down on his chair. “I know. Although I didn’t see it at the time. I was blinded by the domination and the sex. She was a good hostess, too, I’ll give her that. She yanked me along, up the social ladder. After she left, well, it became quite clear she wanted something I couldn’t give, and I discovered I had no real emotional connection to her other than the D/s connection.

“Maybe she found out the bulk of the family money is tied up for the next several decades. They live in
Greece
after all. I’ll probably be a really wealthy old man. I won’t disrespect her,
Warren
. She was my wife. But she wasn’t Iris. Isn’t Iris. And I want you to know I’m not giving up. I took her to you because you’re her family, the only family she has, and she was an emotional disaster this morning. She wouldn’t hear me out.”

“There will be some people who will remark on the resemblance,”
Warren
replied, “but few will see it once they get to know Iris. She just has to come to understand that. She’s quite like Haley, actually, so you’d better hang onto your hat. It’ll be quite a ride.”

There was nothing but smug satisfaction in
Warren
’s comment, and George fiercely envied him. He knew he had chosen the better of the two sisters, though, the better match for him. Haley was feisty, as Iris might prove to be on occasion, but it was Iris’s serene, calm demeanor that attracted him, completed him. Until her clothes came off and her sexuality was unleashed. George nearly groaned at the thought of missing all of that, even for one day.

“Will you help me?” He was no longer an island. He needed help and would ask for it wherever he could find it.

“We’ve already started, George. Iris confessed she loves you, although she is so upset right now I expect she’d cut your balls off with a dull knife if she could. We simply told her the truth, that she and Jane are nothing alike. I don’t know how long she’ll stay with us, but hopefully until tomorrow night. She returns to work on Monday.”

George replied, “Thanks for that. I’ll be sending some items your way. Let me know if she goes back to the hotel. I’ll follow up there. I know she needs some time, but I don’t want her talking herself out of our relationship.”

“What are you calling this relationship?” There was honest curiosity in
Warren
’s question but also a hint of warning. George shrugged, forgetting the other man couldn’t see him.

“I love her. I want her as my sub and as my wife. And the mother of my children.” He decided not to tell
Warren
that Iris might already be embarking on that last role. He’d think on it some more and perhaps he’d change his mind about sharing the possibility, but he selfishly wanted to hold that hope close to him for now.

“Good for you, George. Congratulations. And that’s from someone who had his head up his ass for a freaking long time regarding Haley. Welcome to the world of the living. It’s gonna be a long haul, but I expect you’ll prevail.”

“I plan to.”

George shut the phone off and set it on the table. He pulled his laptop into position and went online. It took perhaps an hour, but he teed up the deliveries and charged everything to his personal credit card. Nothing was more personal than this. Then he went into the office schedule to make sure his calendar would be clear enough to pursue Iris without interruption. He fired off a few e-mails to clients and staff alike before going to his bedroom to find some different clothes. Iris’s scent clung to the sheets as he bent to strip them, and he buried his face in the pillow she’d used, uncaring of grown male deportment. In the end he just remade the bed, wanting to sleep in the fantasy of her being next to him, supported by her scent, until he could have her there again.

He pulled some socks on and decided his choice of clothing was suitable for a stalker. He shrugged into a light jacket and shoved his phone in a pocket. As he made his way through the house, he noted how sterile it looked. But Iris would change all that. His face set and he remembered his decision to sell the place if she’d prefer to live elsewhere. But despite the horrible scene in the dining room, Iris had fit into his bedroom as though destined, and the bathroom was perfectly appointed for her. George surveyed the piano and wondered if he should call somebody to dispose of it. Jane had never even played the thing but wanted it as part of her decorating scheme. But Iris played. He remembered her talking about it. He knew a great deal about her, and she was going to find that out in the coming days.

George drove back to the house he’d taken her to for succour and safekeeping. If he had his way, there would be no one else, ever, to provide that for her again, except him. And he wouldn’t ever again be the cause of such a need, he hoped. He stopped to pick up another coffee and added bottled water and some energy snacks. He was no stranger to stakeouts, and if Iris left her sister’s house, he wanted to know about it and provide the transportation or at least know where she was going. He couldn’t dismiss a faint hint of concern for her, beyond the shock she’d received this morning, and never dismissed his gut instinct whether he could decipher it or not. He pulled up just in time to see the flower delivery arrive.

Chapter Seven

Iris huddled into the thick robe Haley found for her. It obviously belonged to one of the men in the household because it trailed on the ground no matter how firmly she wrapped it around her waist and tied the sash. The sleeves were turned back several times so she could actually use her hands. It made her want to go back to her hotel and find her own things. But the robe was warm and comforting, so she thanked Haley and followed her downstairs. The medication had settled her stomach and allowed her to sleep for an hour or so, if fitfully. Iris worked hard at packaging up all the thoughts and memories of the past week and kept her mind on the future. She had a job to do, a job she really liked, some great supports, too, and things could be a lot worse. She wasn’t sure how, but surely they could be.

The table was set for four, and Iris recognized Haley’s handiwork. She had wondered how her sister could so easily give up her stellar career and merely consult to restaurants instead. But the reason for her choice was holding out a chair, and Iris slipped into it. One of the reasons. Gordon was settling Haley into another chair.

Warren
said, “You’re probably hungry, Iris. Haley’s appetite tends to improve in the middle of the day and diminish again around dinner time. So we eat around her schedule.”

Iris cast a glance at Haley. She did look less pale and was contemplating the roast and accompanying vegetables with satisfaction. Iris’s stomach chose that moment to make a hungry suggestion, and they all laughed.

“I
am
hungry, and this looks wonderful.”

“I can prepare food now, big sister! It’s wonderful not to have to run and puke between chopping and stirring and baking. And at the smell of certain foods. The doctor said I’ll be past this phase shortly, although he said that last month, too. But I’m optimistic.”

Gordon shifted uncomfortably in his chair, and Iris watched, fascinated, as Haley reached out and traced a finger across his lips. “No, my big teddy bear, don’t give
Warren
another opportunity to tease you. You just remember you got there first, and when I’m pregnant with his baby, I’ll probably be the size of a horse after the first month and he’ll be fetching and carrying forever to make it up to me.”

Iris forced herself to join in with yet another burst of laughter while pushing the fierce bite of envy aside. Haley deserved this love and this baby. Her time would come. She had maybe another couple of decades of child-bearing years left, and hopefully she would be over Georgios Andreas before time ran out. Time healed, right? It hadn’t escaped her how attuned Haley was to her men, and Iris realized she, too, had that gift. She’d picked up on a dynamic between Casey and Georgios, and then Gordon and Georgios that first night, and simply knew how to react. She’d done a lot of reacting she supposed, and Georgios, too, was in tune with her. God, she was thinking about him again. It was a mistake to stay here and be surrounded with this kind of intense connection. Maybe she should look for employment elsewhere. Someplace far away like
Australia
. Or the moon.

She accepted the slices of meat Gordon carved for her and helped herself to vegetables and au jus. Everything probably melted on her tongue, but she couldn’t really tell. It was hard to swallow, but she washed the food down with gulps of water and kept complimenting Haley on her culinary skills. Iris was determined to hide her pain and ensure Haley thought she’d recovered, that it had been a shock for certain, but nothing she couldn’t handle. She regretted telling them anything now because she thought they might meddle. She was too independent for that kind of familial closeness. Submissive indeed! Iris was her own woman and prepared to prove it, starting right after the table was cleared and the dishes done.

“The guys will clear up, Iris. Come sit with me for awhile.”

Well, that was easier. She’d probably be able to convince Haley, but her brothers-in-law seemed able to read her innermost thoughts. Damn Doms. She would just have to get better at veiling her thoughts and feelings, holding them at bay. She followed Haley, clutching another cup of tea, and they curled up in separate chairs in the comfortable living room. Georgios’s house needed a woman’s touch. Jane might have lived there once, but the place was so cold and empty. And what the hell was she thinking? She was insane. Iris took a swallow of tea and smiled at Haley.

“Don’t, Iris. Don’t try to pretend with me. You were the best big sister ever, especially when Mom died. We only have one another. Warren and Gordon will be there for you, too, and are there for me, but there’s no other blood family. Talk to me.”

Iris fought tears and won the battle by a slim margin. She sniffed. “I can’t talk to you, Haley, because I can’t talk to myself yet. I daren’t think about it. It was like taking a knife to the heart, and if I think about it, I’ll lose it.”

“Okay. But have you considered how stupid men can be? That maybe George
didn’t
choose you because you resembled his dead wife? And he didn’t think it was important to tell you because he’s a man?”

“Holy fucking shit, Haley. Whose side are you on, anyhow?” Iris slammed her cup on the coffee table and jumped to her feet. She fisted her hands and glared at her little sister. They fought as kids, and Iris was transported back to those days and wanted to pull Haley’s hair and slap her face. It was the only time Iris really lost her temper, and she realized it was because she could safely do so. Because Haley loved her and would never reject her for her strong emotions. When people loved you, they accepted that you lost it sometimes, usually for good reason, sometimes for none.

Haley just sat back in her chair and looked at her. Iris’s rage dissipated, and she nearly fell back into her own seat, suddenly drained. She wrestled with a sense of betrayal at Haley’s apparent disloyalty and a niggle of worry that she’d overreacted as she reflected on her revelation. Her baby sister seemed so wise and mature. Iris looked into her blue eyes, so like her own, and saw something she never wanted to see. Haley was scared. Worried yes, full of empathy, but also scared. Scared for
her
.

“What, Haley?” She nearly whispered the question.

“I’ve never seen you like this, Iris, ever. You were always the calm, sensible, practical older sister I could count on in any storm, even if you smacked me sometimes. You never backed down from anything, not even when those kids made fun of us as bastards. You were my strength when Mom died, even when everybody else thought I was so stoic. I borrowed from you, and now you’re in pieces. Please, Iris. Tell me. Let me help you.”

“Do you think I’ve lost it? Done something stupid? Something that will mess up my life? What?” Iris struggled to put it all together.

“You’re in love, Iris. For the first time. And knowing you, for the last time, the only time. You’re nearly thirty years old, and you stepped right out of the box. You chose a Dom, which should blow me away, but it doesn’t. You deserve to be taken care of because you’ve taken care of others all your life. You must be freaking tired.