Free She's All Tied Up: Club 3, Book 2 by Cathryn Cade

sweet submissive. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”
    Her mouth quivered again. Then she frowned and looked away, her flush deepening. “Just…family stuff. My mom. You know.” She shrugged, her gaze flicking up to his and then away again.
    No, he did not know, but he could take a guess. “Have anything to do with why you’re here?”
    She shrugged again.
    “Baby, look at me.”
    Her eyes widened, her gaze meeting his. Shit, he shouldn’t have called her that—sounded too intimate, like they were together as a couple, not casual dinner companions. Got her attention, though, so he’d roll with it. “What’d your mom do or say that’s got you in here drinking beer by yourself instead of with your girls?”
    “I can eat out by myself,” she protested.
    “Carlie. Answer my question.”
    She swallowed. Licked her lips, her hand tightening on her glass. All small things, but tells, nonetheless. She was hurting and embarrassed.
    “It’s stupid. Just…” She spoke quickly in a soft voice, fiddling with her glass. “My brother’s getting married. To a woman who is thin and perfect and so are her friends. I was not invited to stand with them as a bridesmaid, until…one of them pulled out for some reason, so now I’m invited— if I lose weight by the wedding.”
    Then she gave him a look from under her long lashes, her mouth primming as if she couldn’t believe she’d spilled this information and took another long drink of her beer.
    Heat roared up inside him so fast and hot he felt as if the top of his head would explode.
    “ What? ” His jaw clenched. “This girl told you— you to lose weight? Said you’re not good enough for her fuckin’ wedding?”
    Carlie’s eyes widened over her glass. She nodded.
    Jake growled deep in his chest. It was either that or leap off his chair and throw it through the stained-glass light surround over the bar. “Unbelievable. Un-be- fucking -lievable.”
    A waiter arrived at that moment, all smiles as he set Jake’s food down, oblivious to the anger crackling around the small table like ozone. “Here you go. Anything else, sir? Another beer for you, miss?”
    “I’m good,” Jake said curtly. “You want another?”
    “I’ll have a Coke Zero,” Carlie said. Her gaze flicked to Jake’s. “I’m driving.”
    He jerked his chin in approval and waited for the waiter to leave. Then he looked at Carlie, holding out his hand, palm up.
    She looked at it, then at him. He raised his brows at her, and she frowned slightly, but hesitantly laid her hand in his. Hers was cool and slender in his big paw. He squeezed her hand gently, and stroked his thumb over the back, enjoying their first touch, the silkiness of her skin.
    “You listen,” he told her. “And listen good. You are not too fat, for anything or anybody. Anyone says you are is a jealous bitch and should be ignored as such.” He let his gaze drop over her shoulders, her breasts and then back up to her face, which was pink again, but her eyes held such shy pleasure and gratitude he knew his words went deep, as he meant them to.
    “You,” he added, “are a gorgeous, bodacious woman. One any man would be thankful to have on his arm.” So thankful he would want to tie her up like a good little sub and wallow in her arms for a good long time, fucking her until he no longer had the strength to move, but that maybe wasn’t restaurant talk, even in the quiet, for-her-ears-only voice he was using now.
    “You get me?” he asked.
    When she nodded, he gave her hand a final squeeze and reluctantly let go. She smiled at him, biting her bottom lip.
    “What?” he asked, his good temper renewed by her acquiescence, her smile and the array of food before him.
    “You—you growled ,” she said, a giggle incipient in her voice.
    He shrugged, picking up a chunk of hot, fragrant garlic bread. “Something pisses me off, it happens. Now you gonna eat that chicken, or do I have to eat all by myself?”
    She nodded, looking