Submission Under the Mistletoe Read Online Free Page B

several derogatory things to say; now
they didn’t seem to fit. “Anyway. Probably not.”
    “ Whatever. I’m sure Alesha
appreciated you checking it out.”
    “ Yea. Maybe.” He stared at his
brother. “You should consider going.”
    “ Hell, no. I’ll leave things like
that to the one of us that got all the adventurous jeans.” Brian
reached across the table and patted him on the shoulder.
    “ Thanks.” Picking up his coffee,
Brad drained it and then set it down beside his empty plate. “Let’s
get out of here.”
    Leaving out the establishment with his twin, Brad
realized how ridiculous it had been for him to even come to the
shop. What did he plan to do even if he had seen China Doll again?
Maybe just see for himself that she was okay. That the angry man
from the dungeon hadn’t caught up with her again. As he’d told
Brian he wasn’t trying to become a part of the lifestyle. So, it
wasn’t really any of his concern. She wasn’t his responsibility.
That master of the dungeon bouncer guy seemed like someone she
could go to if she needed protection. Not to mention he lived in
Baltimore.
    So, it was best to keep his distance from a woman
that was completely involved in a world he knew little about.
    ~YH~
    “ Hi, Mom.”
    “ Hello, Gab. How are you?” Sierra
Mitchem’s voice was filled with cheer as it was all the time a
special day was coming up. Her mother was big on every holiday and
birthday.
    “ I’m doing really
good.”
    “ Where are you calling from? Is
this a new number?” Concern laced her mother’s voice, dampening the
jovial tone somewhat.
    “ New number. I changed my old
one.”
    “ Again. You’ve only had the last
one for about four months.” There was a long pause. “You sure
you’re okay?”
    If you call dodging the harassing calls from an
ex-Dom okay, she was just peachy. Reel was still pretty pissed at
her for what she had done and last night she’d barely gotten much
sleep with him calling repeatedly. This morning her phone had been
filled with voice messages from him doing everything from pleading
to her to come back to telling her she was a piss-poor sub. He
didn’t know where she lived and he knew better than to come to her
job, her boss would eat him alive. “Just great. Look, I was calling
to let you know to be on the lookout for a couple boxes I’m sending
to the house.”
    “ Sweetheart, does that mean that
you’re not coming home for Christmas?”
    Laughing, Gabriella said, “No. I’ll be there.”
    She knew that her mother would be very disappointed
if any of her children or grandchildren did not come to their house
for Christmas. She’d raised them to know that family was important.
Her parent’s never stopped any of them from moving away. They would
just remind them that they’d see them for Christmas—her parent’s
only wish.
    “ I just plan to fly this year and
I didn’t want to have to worry about the gifts getting lost or
broken.”
    “ Oh, that’s wonderful. Do you need
your brothers and father to come pick you up?”
    “ Maybe. I’ll let you know. I was
thinking about getting a rental at the airport.” It was a part of
Gabriella’s independence, she liked being able to come and go
without depending on someone else or having someone else with her
if she wanted to be alone. As the oldest child she always had to be
responsible for one or more of her siblings growing up.
    “ Okay, honey. Josie and Kyle got
in last night. They went to her friend’s house to watch a
basketball game. You should see how plump she is. I think we may
have a baby for Christmas.” There was so much joy in her mother’s
voice it gave her a pain in her heart.
    “ I hope so. They’ve been trying
for two years, now. They deserve it.” Her family knew of her
lifestyle and never judged her or tried to make her change, for
that Gabriella was thankful.
    “ They do. Well, sweetheart. I’m
off to caroling rehearsal with Molly Jenkins. Call us tomorrow
night if you