Make Me, Sir

And the bastard abandoned her without looking back.

* * *

After a quick change of clothing in the restroom, Marcus strode into the restaurant. When he saw Gramps sitting alone, he froze, then spotted Gabi at one of the giant windows with his grandmother. The two appeared mesmerized by the giraffe striding past. He let out a sigh of relief, realizing he’d been worried the little sub would flee.

When Marcus sat down, his grandfather glanced at the two women a few feet away. “She’s polite, but she doesn’t intimidate worth a damn. I do believe I like her.”

Marcus snorted. “You would. Unfortunately, the problem is getting her to stay. She thinks I’m the same type as her parents, and you’re right about his personality. Her mother is worse.”

Gramps’s mouth flattened into a line. “Renard is a pompous bastard and wound up tighter than an eight-day clock. You’re nothing alike, son.”

“Hopefully I can keep her around long enough to realize it.”

“We ordered for you, by the way. Your young lady has an adventurous spirit, at least in foods.”

The bread sampler had arrived before the two women returned to the table, laughing and chatting easily. Nana could put anyone at ease, and Marcus smiled. He kept realizing how much Gabi was like her.

His sub’s eyes widened when she saw him. What? Oh, the clothes. After she sat down beside him, he leaned over to murmur into her ear, “I spend most of my time in jeans, sugar. Sorry to disappoint you.”

She grinned. “You’re trying to destroy all my illusions, aren’t you?” She lowered her voice, “By the way, you have a fine ass. Sir.”

He choked. And hardened instantly. He gave her a “you will pay” stare, and she actually giggled.

When he looked up, Nana beamed at him in obvious approval. Well then. Now to win over his grandfather. If his grandparents approved, so would the rest of the Atherton clan. Marcus leaned back in his chair and smiled at Gabi. He’d bet her previous Christmases had been formal, cold affairs. Dignified. When he took her to his parents’ home in rural Georgia, she was in for a shock.

“I’ve been admiring your hair, Gabi,” Nana said. “As it happens, I’m thinking of putting a few pink or green streaks in mine just to shock the ladies in my bridge club.”

Marcus’s mouth dropped open, and Gramps sputtered like a badly tuned engine.

“I think you’d shock more than just the ladies.” Snickering at the men, Gabi fingered the blue strand in her hair. “You’re braver than I am-I never planned to do something quite so permanent.”

He’d thought she’d done it as a show of defiance-although the blue was rather odd, considering how she liked coordinating colors. “So why did you?”

“My job has unexpected…benefits.” She gave him a rueful look. “I went to see a teenager who’d had a…bad experience, but she refused to talk with me. Wanted me to leave. But then she said she’d planned to dye her hair.” Gabi’s eyes darkened. “It’s a girl thing, trying to change ourselves as if we can change our lives too.”

Marcus took her hand. He’d have to ask someday how she’d changed herself as a teenager.

“Anyway, I volunteered to help, and halfway through, I got enthused. When I smeared blue on my hair, well, she started to laugh and…” When Gabi’s fingers tightened on his, he knew the girl had talked and shared undoubtedly horrific memories with his compassionate woman. “We had a nice chat, and I discovered I rather like the blue. I went back last month to have her put some more in.”

Yeah, he definitely loved this woman. He wanted to pull her into his arms; he settled for running a finger down her cheek.

She gave him a suspicious frown. “What?”

“You please me more than I can say, Gabi,” he said softly. A pretty pink colored in her cheeks. That first day he’d seen her, he’d known it would be a delight to watch her flush.

“Um. Thank you.”

Smiling, he handed her a piece of the traditional naan bread. She scooped up some hummus and took a bite. When she closed her eyes in pleasure, he remembered she’d had the same expression when sucking his cock, when he kissed her, when he bent her over… He shifted in his chair, needing to drag her to the hotel room he’d rented. Right now.

Across the table, his grandfather exchanged amused smiles with Nana. Totally obvious, was he? He found he didn’t care in the least. But he had work to do here, and he might as well start off by killing two birds with one stone. “Gramps, do you remember the woman I introduced y’all to at the beginning of the summer? Celine?”

Beside him, Gabi stiffened, her face turning poker bland as she sipped her drink. Nana, in contrast, appeared appalled at his rudeness at talking about a previous girlfriend.

“I remember her,” Gramps answered. “Sugar wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Spineless.”

“Good description.” Marcus glanced at his little sub. Open shock. The first crack in her believing what Celine had said. Excellent. Now to confront it head-on. “She has a problem with honesty as well. Apparently she’s telling people we’re in a relationship and that I love her.”

Gabi choked on her drink.

“Ah, a witness? What did she tell you, darlin’?”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not on the stand, so watch it, Mr. Lawyer.”

A snort of appreciation from Gramps.

Marcus put a finger under her chin. “Tell me, Gabrielle.”

“She told me you love her because she never gives you any back talk. Whatever you want is what she wants.”

“You fancy a biddable woman?” his grandfather said in disbelief.

Nana tsk-tsked at him. “Of course he doesn’t, dear. Now hush.”

“Do you really think I’d enjoy someone I can walk all over?” Marcus asked, running a finger down her cheek. “Do you realize how boring that would be?”

“But…” From her confused expression, that’s exactly what she believed.

“I see. We’ll discuss that later then.” He let his anger with her show. “Do you think so little of me you believe I would”-the memory of his grandparent’s presence made him revise his language-“ah, take you home if I was involved with someone?”

“No.” Her gaze dropped. “Not at first. But she said, straight out…”

“She lied, Gabi.” Marcus leaned an elbow on the table. “A few dates doesn’t make a relationship, and aside from occasional scenes, I’d stopped seeing her well before you. She didn’t take the hint, so I told her, rather bluntly, a couple of weeks ago that I had no intention of doing…anything…with her again.”

Brown eyes met his, and he saw her temper spark. “She lied to me? Out-and-out lied?”

Marcus smothered his smile. “I’m afraid so, sugar.”

Her growl sounded like a higher version of Nolan’s.

Gramps slapped his hand on the table. “So what are you going to do about this woman?”

“You have any suggestions, Gabi?”

She thought for a moment, and her lips curved. “Whatever you want is what she wants…so what if you wanted her to spend an evening with Ma-” She cut the word off and flushed slightly. “With Sam?”

Marcus stared at her, then roared with laughter. “You possess an evil mind, little brat.”

“Is Sam ugly or something?” Nana asked.

“No. Actually Sam’s a very nice guy, but he has a rather well-known kinky side.” Marcus winked at Gramps. “He’s a hard-core sadist, Nana, and he has a fondness for whips.”

Gramps barked a laugh.

Nana’s eyes widened. “My goodness, how do you meet such interesting people?” She tapped a finger against her lips, then nodded, shocking him-and Gabi-completely. “That would be a fine predicament to put her in, bless her heart, and an appropriate consequence for her lying.”

Marcus smiled at Gabi. “Means you’ll need to come to Tampa for the show, darlin’.”

“I…I…” She averted her eyes. “You know, we should eat while the food is still warm, don’t you think?”