In the weeks following the governor’s reign of terror, everything had changed—in my life, in Hadley’s life, and the guys’ lives, too. We were no longer the Dominants’ Council; it simply meant nothing anymore, and my club was no longer mine. I’d completely washed my hands of it. We didn’t discuss sex clubs, kinky nights, or our power over the city. We were friends—friends who spent the weekend together. Dinner parties, nights at the theater, casual backyard grilling, we’d done it all, and I’d introduced Hadley to Micah’s Allie and Darius’s Taylor.
Life had gotten very vanilla, and I liked the sweetness of it.
The tabloids were leaving us alone, and our lives were moving forward. Except for Gabe. He hadn’t been at any of our parties, completely avoiding us until today at Darius and Taylor’s wedding.
Even now, as I turn to him sitting beside me, I see the firm set of his mouth as he’s looking at his phone, and note the stress he’s under.
“You don’t look happy,” I say to him, hoping he opens up and lets me in on what’s going on with him.
“I’m not happy.” He hands me his cellphone.
I angle the phone, keeping the screen private, even from Hadley, and read the first paragraph of the article from Gotcha!
Ladies, whips and chains better be your thing if Gabe O’Keefe is your current crush. Our sources tell us that not only is he a big player at Afterglow but he’s the sex club’s owner!
I sigh and hand Gabe back his phone, not wanting to read more. For years, we’d been extremely careful not to let our adventurous sex lives get into the hands of the media to avoid a sex scandal. We’d all come out unscathed. But not Gabe. “Do you need me?” I ask.
“No,” Gabe bites off, looking straight ahead, arms crossed.
I note the firm set of his lips, wishing I could do more. There’s no one to hunt down. There are no secrets to discover. We know who’s behind Gabe’s personal information getting out. And now I understand what’s truly upsetting him.
McKenna…the woman who sold him out.
Maybe his affections toward her run deeper than lust. Maybe he loves her. I wonder, because he has yet to make his move to confront her. “You’ll reach out if I can be any help? My team is available if you need them.”
Gabe turns his head then, dark circles under his eyes. “Yes, of course, thank you.” He sighs heavily and gives a weak smile. “Before I do anything, I need to get this straight in my head.”
Christ, I feel for him, truly. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.
There’s nothing more to say, so I don’t bother attempting to make him feel better. He’ll get there on his own, I don’t doubt that. By the tightness around his eyes, and the anger I see in their depths, I pity McKenna. She’s got no idea the trouble coming her way, and I can only imagine she won’t be prepared for it.
“Is everything okay?” Hadley’s soft voice captures my attention, and I glance to her, finding her eyes concerned.
I smile, squeezing her fingers. “It’s nothing that we need to worry about.” And maybe I like that, too. As much as I would do anything for Gabe, I’m only too glad things in my life have settled.
Hadley gives me a sweet smile, and that’s when the crowd begins to whisper. I look toward the altar, finding Darius waiting there, with Micah at his side. Darius’s eyes meet mine and he gives a nod, which I return with a smile before he focuses on the back door of the church as it opens.
The crowd rises, and so do I, as Allie begins striding down the aisle, wearing a soft pink dress and holding a colorful bouquet of flowers.
I step in close to Hadley and wrap my arms around her neck, bringing her nice and close against me. “Soon that’ll be you,” I say, watching Taylor, Darius’s soon-to-be wife, stride down the aisle in a vintage lace wedding dress, with her father.
“No…” Hadley whispers, grabbing onto my arms. “It’ll never be like this.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d never make you wear a tux.”
I chuckle, pressing a soft kiss to her bare shoulder. “And that, Hadley, is what makes you mine.”
As always, for my readers
Acknowledgments
Much love to my family; my readers; my editor, Sue; my publisher, Gina; my agent, Jessica; my assistant, Michelle; the ladies in my sprint group; and the entire Loveswept team. Ryder and Hadley couldn’t have happened without all of you!
BY STACEY KENNEDY
Dirty Little Secrets