His Sub by Ellis O. Day
CHAPTER 15: Terry
Terry sat in Ethan’s office drinking and playing cards—pastimes he usually enjoyed but not tonight. Nope, his night had tanked as soon as he’d walked into Maggie’s house.
“These are fucking fantastic.” Ethan ate another cookie.
Terry grunted and stood. It wasn’t Maggie’s cookies he wanted to eat but the rest of her was off limits. He hadn’t been denied something he’d wanted in years. He’d forgotten how much it sucked.
“Going into the Club?” Ethan picked up the cards.
“Nah. Home.”
“It’s early.” Ethan’s blue eyes studied him. “What’s wrong with you? I didn’t expect to see you again tonight after leaving with Maggie.”
“Tired.” He was more than tired. He was in a crappy mood. He had been since he’d found out about Maggie’s kids.
There was a knock on the door.
“Ethan,” hollered Nick.
“Back here,” yelled Ethan.
“My timing is excellent,” mumbled Terry as Nick and his fiancé, Sarah, walked in.
“Hey,” said Ethan, smiling at Sarah. “What brings you two here?”
“We’re going to explore the Club for a bit.” Nick gave Terry a curt nod, pulling Sarah a little closer to his side.
Terry’s nagging about a prenuptial agreement had put a wedge between him and Nick. He should be happy for his friend. He would be except he knew how bad marriages got when they ended and most of them did end. So, he’d continue harassing the fool until Nick either agreed to sign a prenup or got married. Nick was worth a lot of money and he needed to think with the head on his shoulders, not the one between his legs.
“Have fun.” Ethan grinned at the couple as he stuffed another cookie in his mouth.
“Well, I’m out of here.” He’d been irritable before and having these two around wouldn’t make it better.
“Cookies?” Nick moved forward.
Terry thought a moment about being an ass and saying they were his but he was too tired. Usually, he enjoyed arguing. He was a lawyer, but tonight he wasn’t in the mood.
“They’re Terry’s,” teased Ethan.
Nick grabbed two cholate chips cookies and turned to Sarah. “What kind do you want?”
“None for me.” She eyed Terry nervously.
He hadn’t been overly friendly with her the few times they’d met. He should be. If he ostracized Sarah, Nick would never speak with him again, let alone listen to him. “Try some. They’re very good.” He snatched the container from beneath Nick’s hands and held it out to her. “Please, have one.”
“They’re fabulous.” Ethan tipped his chair, so he could grab a few more.
“Thank you.” Sarah looked Terry in the eyes and he almost understood what made all these guys—Ethan, Nick and even Hunter—want to protect her.
She looked innocent, untarnished by the world, but he’d talked to her in the Viewing when she’d first come to the Club and she was stronger than she appeared.
“These are great.” Nick stuffed the second cookie in his mouth and grabbed two more.
Sarah took a bite of hers and almost moaned. “They’re delicious. Did you make them?”
Ethan burst out laughing and Nick almost choked on his cookie.
“Terry? Terry can’t cook,” muttered Nick.
“I could. I just don’t want to.” He probably could if he tried, but he never did. He was busy and he hated being home alone. Beast, the dog he’d adopted from Nick, helped but his house was still lonely.
“Right.” Nick grabbed another cookie and handed it to Sarah.
“Who made them?” Sarah finished her first one and took the other from Nick.
“A friend of Terry’s.” Ethan emphasized friend.
“I smell a story.” Nick grabbed Sarah’s hand and pulled her down on the couch next to him. “Spill.”
“Do you want me to tell it?” Ethan leaned his elbows on the table, grinning at Terry.
“There’s nothing to tell.” Terry sighed and sat down. “But if I don’t explain, Ethan will blow this all out of proportion and Nick will never stop his incessant teasing.”
“Me?” Nick touched his chest. “You’re the asshole of the group not me.”
“Honey, you can be an asshole too.” Sarah kissed his cheek to take the sting from her words.
Ethan laughed and Terry decided that he might have to give this woman another chance once Nick signed the prenup.
“True, but I’m working on it.” Nick kissed her hand.
“Jesus.” He sent Ethan a disgusted look. “Why do you even let him and Patrick in here? Are you trying to make me vomit?”
“Jealous,” said Nick.
“Hardly. I did my time.” His marriage hadn’t ended well. Shit, who was he kidding? Most of his married life had been tense and unsatisfying.
“Back to the story of the cookies,” said Ethan, keeping the peace as usual.
“Fine.” Terry stretched out his legs and settled against the seat. “Ethan’s last party had some issues.”
“Don’t they always when you let in non-members,” said Nick. It wasn’t a question.
“Yeah, but this was worse than usual.” Ethan glanced at Terry. “A woman was almost raped.”
“Jesus.” Nick squeezed Sarah’s hand.
“What happened?” asked Sarah. “Is she okay?”
“Thanks to her hero.” Ethan smirked as he turned toward Terry, batting his lashes.
“Terry?” Nick laughed. “He’s the last guy I’d see in that role.”
“Hey!” He may be brusque but he’d never let someone get raped.
“I didn’t mean you’d hurt a woman. I know you wouldn’t do that, but I didn’t expect you to…What exactly did you do?” asked Nick.
“I happened to see a woman who definitely didn’t belong here. She was heading toward the playrooms, so I followed her. She went into a room and there were several guys—”
“Several?” Sarah’s face paled. “That poor woman must’ve been terrified.
“Renee was in there and the—”
“Renee likes to get fucked by numerous men at once,” Nick explained to Sarah.
“Really?” She made a face that said it was clearly not her thing.
“Glad you’re not into that because that’s never going to happen.” Nick’s hand rested on her thigh. “You’re mine and only mine.”
“Please you two,” said Ethan. “I just ate. Go into the Club if you want to act like that.”
“Soon.” Nick’s hand caressed her leg but he faced Terry. “So, go on. What did you do to deserve a hero’s cape?”
“The guys weren’t members and they didn’t understand the scene and the rules,” said Terry.
“That’s not an excuse and you know it. Everyone is told the rules when they enter,” said Ethan. “No forced anything. Ever.”
“I know but you also know that people come here for these events with preconceived ideas about sex clubs and they’re usually wrong.”
“And that’s why I tell them.” A muscle ticked in Ethan’s jaw. Consent was the number one rule around here.
“Anyway, they weren’t going to let Maggie leave so I stepped in.”
“Was there a fight?” Nick looked at Ethan. “Where were the bouncers?”
“Nearby, just not in the room,” said Terry. “And no, there wasn’t a fight. I got Maggie out and then texted Ethan.”
“That was so brave of you.” Sarah smiled at him.
He shrugged. “Anyone would’ve done it. Any member anyway. That kind of stuff doesn’t go on here.”
“Absolutely, and those guys will never be back. I’m even reviewing the members who invited them,” said Ethan. “I don’t need that shit around here.”
“So, where did these cookies come from.” Nick took Sarah’s hand and ate the last bite of her cookie.
“Maggie baked them for Terry as a thank you,” said Ethan.
“That was nice of her,” said Sarah.
Nick looked from one guy to another. “Wait a minute.”
Terry almost groaned. Nick was like a terrier ferreting out information. “What?”
“Why were you following this woman?”
“I told you. She obviously didn’t belong here.” He smirked. “You should’ve seen her looking around the main part of the Club. She was bumping into everyone, her eyes huge. She’d never seen anything like this place.”
“Then why did she go to the playrooms?” asked Nick. “There’s a sign and it’s pretty damn clear that it isn’t the bathrooms down there.”
“She was looking for a friend,” said Ethan. “Vicky Givens.”
“She’s a friend of Vicky Givens?” Nick snorted. “She can’t be innocent.”
“Not exactly a friend,” said Terry. “She was Vicky’s sister-in-law before she got divorced. She thought they were still friends”
“It had to be some kind of mean joke on Vicky’s part,” said Ethan. “You know the bitch does that crap.”
“Oh, that poor woman,” said Sarah. “She must’ve been so hurt.”
“She was. She cried most of the way home,” said Terry. Except when he’d gotten her to think about sex.
“You took her home?” Nick’s lips twitched.
“Yeah. So? I didn’t want her calling an Uber after what she’d gone through.”
Ethan cleared his throat.
“There’s more to this story,” prodded Nick.
“No. There’s not.” He wanted to leave but then he’d never, ever hear the end of this.
“Terry likes her,” mumbled Ethan behind his hand.
“I don’t. Yes, I was attracted to her but that’s all.”
“Is she really that innocent?” asked Nick. “That’s not your type.”
Terry shrugged. “You know me. Everywhere else I follow my head but here I follow my dick.”
Sarah’s eyes dropped to her lap.
“Please. Nick’s said worse, I’m sure.” He didn’t need this fake innocent crap.
“Yes, but”—she smiled, eyes gleaming with mischief as her gaze met his—“you should get that printed on a T-shirt.”
“Maybe, I will.” He laughed.
“So, why the cookies and not a few nights of fucking?” asked Nick.
“I was angling for that, but she has kids.” Terry’s shoulders sagged, suddenly tired again.
“Three,” said Ethan.
“So,” said Nick.
“I don’t want a relationship and women with children, especially with young kids, don’t want to just fuck.”
“Did you ask her,” asked Sarah.
“I offered.”
“Oh.” Sarah’s eyes widened.
“I told you, Terry’s crass,” said Nick.
“But I’m honest. It’s best.”
“Yeah. I guess.” Sarah glanced at the container of cookies. “They really are good. Do you have her name or phone number?”
“Why? You going to ask her to bake you some?” Terry didn’t want any of them around Maggie. The way Maggie had eyed Ethan she might take him up on an offer to become less innocent and if anyone were going to teach her the fun that could be had between two consenting adults, it was him.
“Annie’s looking for a pastry chef.”
“That’s right. She is,” said Nick.
“I don’t have her phone number.” He didn’t need Maggie hanging around Annie. Annie, Patrick’s girlfriend, was a perpetual busybody, always trying to arrange everyone’s life into what she thought was best.
“How are you going to return her container?” asked Sarah.
He looked at the plastic dish. “I wasn’t.”
“You have to,” said Sarah.
“She didn’t say she wanted it back.”
“It’s understood. If you give someone food or take it to a party—unless the container is a throw away—it’s returned to the owner.” Sarah looked at all of them like they were idiots.
“There’s a rule about this shit?” He looked at the guys and they both shrugged.
“You can ask Annie if you don’t believe me.” Sarah almost huffed.
“No. I’m sure you’re right.” He had no idea about this kind of crap.
“You can give it to Mattie,” said Ethan, lips twitching.
“What’s my brother have to do with this?” asked Nick.
“Maggie’s car broke down in the parking lot and”—Ethan wiped his eyes, trying not to laugh—“Terry saved her again.”
“A regular knight in shining armor,” joked Nick.
“It was before I knew she had kids. My motives were hardly chivalrous.”
“You know what? Give it to me.” Ethan held out his hand. “I’ll take it to her. She’s going to need a ride to Mattie’s when her car is fixed. I’ll be more than happy to give her a ride.”
Terry was going to punch him in the mouth if he kept emphasizing ride like that. “I’ll take care of it.” Ethan wasn’t getting near her, but his friend was right. She was going to need someone to drive her to Mattie’s garage.
“You should give it to Ethan,” said Nick with laughter in his dark eyes. “A lonely, divorcee could use something to brighten her day.”
“Exactly,” said Ethan.
“She has three kids, remember?” He almost growled.
“Yeah, but Sarah is right. She may be up for a little pleasure for herself off and on.” Ethan’s blue eyes heated. “Couldn’t blame her and I do know how to make a woman feel good.”
“Fuck you.” He stood, grabbing the container. “If anyone’s going to give her pleasure, it’s going to be me.” For some reason he wasn’t tired anymore.
“Hey, there are still cookies in there,” said Ethan.
Terry turned the container upside down, spilling cookies and crumbs all over the table.
“Fuck. You didn’t need to do that.” Ethan stared at the mess. “Asshole.”
He smirked as he strode to the door. Ethan hated disorder almost as much as Terry hated someone encroaching on his territory. Maggie was his. Now, he just had to convince her of that.
