“You deserve to know everything, but it’s too much to share over the phone. Do you trust me?”
God help her, she did. “I guess so.”
“Then just go with it. You’ve been denied so much pleasure your whole life. You’re in Wilde now. We specialize in pleasure. Let go. If I believed that anything would displease you, I would stop it. But I know better. Nothing short of happiness is what you deserve. Phoenix has only your best interest in mind, I promise. No matter what happens, you will always be mine.”
“I want to believe that. I really do.”
“Trust me, darlin’, you will.”
* * * *
Phoenix’s cell rang, pulling him from sleep. “Hello.”
“We have to tell Jessie the truth about our family.” Jackson’s voice sounded anxious.
“Lil’ bro, we can’t tell her. She’s just not ready.” He looked at the clock. Two thirty-five in the morning.
“I just got off the phone with her. She’s not stupid.”
Phoenix nodded. “Boy, do I know that.”
“I can’t keep this up. Plus, she’s pushing for answers. She’s too smart. She’ll figure out the whole story all by herself in time.”
“That’s very true, but we need to wait a bit longer before we come completely clean.” It was hard for Phoenix to keep anything from Jessie, but he knew it was for the best. “There’s more to her story than we know. Someone hurt her really bad. If we unload the whole thing about our family on her, she’ll bolt.”
“And if we keep the truth from her, she’ll also bolt,” Jackson argued.
“Listen, if the plan is going to work, we have to make sure she’s ready to hear us out. Jessie is amazing, but even she needs to warm up to the idea of marrying five brothers. Plus, we have to get her ready for Austin. Dallas and I plan on taking her up to his tree.”
“I wish I could be there. Go easy on her, Phoenix. I’m not sure she’ll be up for that.”
“Dallas thinks she will. So does Denver. You and I have only dabbled that way.”
“More than dabbled, bro. I’ve been to The Masters’ Chamber.”
Phoenix laughed. “Only once or twice. We stuck out like sore thumbs.”
“Dallas knows his way around the club, but he’s pretty new to the scene, too.”
“Yes, but he’s into it. He was even thinking about trying to pass the test to be one of the club Doms before he met Jessie. I think he’s reconsidering that now with her in the picture.”
“I sure hope so. Well, I really wish Denver were going to be there at Austin’s tree with you guys. He isn’t as serious about it as our big bro, but he knows his stuff.”
“Well, the dads want him up there with you to take a look at the site.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“So, we’re good about waiting to tell Jessie?”
“Okay, but keep me up to date. I should be home in the next few days.”
“Will do.”
* * * *
Jessie stood up from the hotel’s only sofa in the lobby when Phoenix walked in the door. He’d brought her back to the hotel over an hour ago with the promise of a nice dinner. She’d agreed, under a little protest, wondering if being seen in town with him might stir up trouble. But she was hungry and really wanted to clear her head, believing a nice meal might do the trick. He’d promised to take her somewhere away from the prying eyes of the citizens of Wilde.
As he walked over to her, he waved at Maude, who sat behind the counter. She wore a green muumuu and typed frantically on a laptop.