After setting the charcoal artwork of her and Gloria down on her bedroom floor, she went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Afterward, she changed her underwear, stepped into her black sweatpants and pulled on her matching black hoodie. Kate glanced at her phone and wondered if he was tracking her at that very moment. He must’ve noticed by now that she took the sketch home with her. What would be his reaction?
She was in shock after finding out how he’d invaded her personal life when he wouldn’t even talk to her at the time. She was pissed at how he’d read her thoughts as he’d logged into her phone and email. In addition, he didn’t miss her Kindle account with all the books about domineering alpha males.
Was that why he felt so free to be so dominant with her from the start? She wasn’t really sure, but when people had sex for the first time, wouldn’t they take things a lot slower? He’d spanked her in the bathroom and again later like it was no biggie, as if it was natural for him to play with her like that.
Never once did her ex spank her or dominate her in the bedroom. Donovan knew how to push all her buttons so she would beg for him to take her. And she didn’t even care. They’d felt so right together. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of. Was it because he knew her preferences and acted as such? Or was he truthfully this way? Could she trust him?
Well, wasn’t that the million-dollar question? During this past month, she’d felt like everything was perfect. Just perfect. They definitely clicked together in bed, but he also made her feel like she was the sun that he revolved around.
She sat on the edge of her bed and stared at her younger self, petting Gloria. How did he find this picture? She opened her phone and searched in her photo album app. As she wasn’t the type to send nude pics or anything of the sort, she had pretty decent photos on her phone. Nothing to feel embarrassed about if he came across those.
Next up were her texts. Now, if he could hack into her texts, then he would know exactly how often she and Bree talked about him. Or Declan for that matter. She screened her history and saw a particular conversation about them…. Stop it. Maybe he didn’t even read them?
She opened a new screen to type a text for Donovan.
KATE: Did you read my texts?
Immediately ”Donovan typing…” appeared on her screen. It shot a jolt of electricity through her body. She stared at her screen and her heartbeat picked up. Her hands got all sweaty, and she swallowed once more before she received his answer.
DONOVAN: I’ve read some… but I stopped after we got together. I want you to know that I’ve deleted everything. The GPS tracker is gone too. Reset your passwords and you’re all set.
DONOVAN: I’m so sorry, cupcake. I want to go back in time so I could stop the moment my protection wasn’t needed anymore…
She took a moment to reread his texts.
DONOVAN: I understand you’ll need time. I’ll stop texting you now ;)
A smile tugged at her lips. Who knew that Donovan was the type to use smileys in his texts? Should she let him sweat some more before replying? He certainly deserved it. She sighed. What was she supposed to even say to him?
In a spur of the moment decision, she jumped off her bed, grabbed her bag and car keys and walked out of her apartment. She got her second Uber ride of the day because her car was still parked at Kayla’s. Although she now lived with Duncan, she was still the one Kate would turn to.
When the driver parked in front of the driveway, Kate thanked him and got out of the car. She walked up to the porch and saw Kayla through the large window next to the front door. It seemed as if she was busy vacuuming the living room, but she couldn’t be sure. Before she could ring the doorbell, she heard her name called by Duncan.
He was in the side yard of their home, up on a ladder trimming the hedges. He seemed worried by her sad expression and immediately climbed down the ladder. “Hey, Kate. What’s up? Everything all right?”
Duncan really was the kind of guy who was rough around the edges but with such a big heart. He’d made her feel at home the moment they’d first met—feeling like a big brother and never making her feel uncomfortable because she was definitely a different type of person than her sisters.
She stood frozen in place and couldn’t find the words. Duncan laid the trimmer down and walked over to her and took her into his strong arms. He hugged her so tight she could feel just how hard his chest was. Kate sniffed, and he patted her back.
“Ah, shit. Shh, Kate. Come, let’s go inside. Kayla is home. We’ll talk inside.”
He took her by her elbow and opened the front door.
“Are you already done outside? Or did you want to go for a quickie?”
Kate stopped and stared at Kayla. She hadn’t noticed her sister being naked underneath an apron when she glanced into the window next to the front door. But it was very clear now that she stood in their living room.
“Ah fuck, wildflower. What a timing to walk around like my personal French maid.” He chuckled like it was no big deal. Kate hated to intrude on other people’s lives, and this visit was certainly unwelcome.
“I… I’m sorry. I’m going to—” She started to walk toward the door but her sister halted her.
“No! Oh my God. I’m sorry, sis. Please don’t go. Dunc, get Kate something to drink. I’ll be back in five.” Kayla was blushing and rushed out of the living room like her French maid costume was on fire.
“One might think she would get you your drink, being a maid and all….” Duncan winked at Kate as he walked past her on his way to the kitchen. The absurdity of it all wasn’t lost on Kate, and she roared with laughter.
Duncan seemed surprised by her laughter, and he stopped walking, but he joined her laugh wholeheartedly. “Fuck, Kate. It’s good to hear you laugh. I like the sound; you should do it more often.”
Normally such a comment would ensure Kate stopped laughing and retreated into her shell. She always hated people saying things like that. As if she chose to be shy and unsure of how to react to other people or in situations that might be pretty normal for others. But coming from Duncan, she knew he truly meant the comment simply like he’d said. He just liked hearing her laugh.