Despite how much better she would feel, she couldn’t allow him to drag Sean and Grace into their trouble. It was bad enough that Adam was going.
Grace shook her head. “Absolutely not. Do not talk to Alex. Besides the fact that my backside is really sore because a disciplinary spanking isn’t as much fun as the erotic ones, I understand why Sean needs to go. I got scared for a minute, but I married a military man. Oh, he might be a chef now, but he’ll never not be a soldier and he’s never going to let a man he loves like a brother go into battle alone if he can help it.”
“I’m sure he can find someone else.”
“No. Sean needs to do this. Carys and I will just have to settle in and wait for him. I’ve always known that he would drift in and out of the dangerous stuff. It’s a part of who he is.” Grace certainly seemed at ease with the decision now. “Besides, he really wants to learn how to cook Cuban, so he’s going to do some research while he’s there. Now, what was this about office sex?”
This was why she didn’t come to dinner parties. This was why she didn’t hang out with other subs. Because other subs were nosy. “It was a mistake.”
Serena and Grace exchanged a long look as though they were having a silent conversation about how to proceed. If she didn’t shut this down, they would end up talking to her about her non-existent relationship.
She definitely didn’t want that. “I really don’t want to talk about it. I hope you can respect my privacy.”
“We have privacy? Why do we need privacy?” Avery sat down next to Serena, a glass of tea in her hand. She looked at all of them, her mouth open a little. “Oh, y’all started the Alex talk, didn’t you? I told you it was a bad idea.”
Eve felt her face flush. It was time to go. She set her wine glass down and stood up. “I think I’ll just skip the dinner, Grace. I’m feeling a bit tired.”
A frown passed over Grace’s face. “And I’m going to ask you to stay.”
That was a deeply aggressive move for someone like Grace. “Like I said, I’ve had a long day and I’m tired.”
“He’s taking Amanda with him.”
That stopped her in her tracks. She sat back down, trying to process the new information. Alex and Amanda?
Avery leaned over, whispering Grace’s way. “You didn’t have to tell her like that.”
“Yes, I did,” Grace said. “Eve doesn’t respond to subtle. She would walk out of here in a heartbeat if I let her because she’s more than willing to listen to every single one of us and help us with our problems, but she won’t have the decency of returning the favor.”
A shitty day had just turned worse. “I’m a therapist. I’m supposed to listen and help. If I’m not doing a good enough job for you, I can certainly refer you to someone else.”
Grace stood up, facing her down. “And I’m family. I’m your sister and that’s not going to ever change. And I can’t refer myself or find someone else.”
Serena stood up beside Grace. “What she said.”
Adam walked up carrying a tray of appetizers, a big smile plastered on his face. He stopped as every single female looked at him. Without a word, he backed away.
“Well at least the men won’t come in now.” Avery shook her head as the kitchen door swung behind him.
Eve had to ignore everything except what Grace had said. “What are you trying to tell me?”
“I’m going to ask you this and if you want to tell me to keep my nose out of your business, then I will, but we’re family now and I happen to care a great deal about you. You’re more than willing to help me out any time I’m in trouble. Can’t you understand that I want to do the same for you?”
“Me, too,” Serena said, reaching for her hand. She stopped as though realizing she was about to do something rude.
God, when had she made the conscious decision to shove everyone away? Maybe that decision hadn’t been conscious. Maybe it had been born from her pain and misery, but she’d done it all the same. She was surrounded by these amazing women and they were right. They were family. She grabbed Serena’s hand. “I’m worried about Alex.”
Grace sank back into her sofa, a long sigh coming from her chest. “Thank god. I hate doing the tough-chick thing.”
Avery smiled. “I advised that we should just get you drunk and have a sleepover. I always talked too much at sleepovers.”
Serena snorted a little. “Yeah, that would totally work. Avery and I would be snoring by nine and Grace would be up all night with Carys. Nope. This is better. So talk and tell us how we can help because I hate Amanda.”
“Is she the one who’s always so sweet around the Doms and then tells all the subs in the locker room that they’re fat?” Avery asked. “Yeah, I hate her, too. I told her I wasn’t fat, I was pregnant and she said ‘same difference. If it moos like a cow…’”
Grace gasped. “She called you a cow?”