Free BreakMeIn by Sara Brookes

because he knew.
    And he wanted in.
    “Why did I agree to this again?” she murmured quietly as she
pulled her coat tightly around her. She could stand in front of a crowd of
people, suited in white leather and work with a submissive, but the thought of
stepping through Alex’s front door in the next few minutes petrified her.
    She could still change her mind. A quick glance at her watch
indicated she was twelve minutes early. Enough time she could turn around, get
in the car, drive away and deliver the obligatory apologies from her cell
phone.
    He seemed so determined to find out more about himself. As
much as she wanted to give him a piece of his life back—she couldn’t. At least
not in the capacity he wanted. She was too close to the heart of the matter.
And Alex obviously had some darkness to deal with. She was already hesitant to
show him in the first place. Add in the alcohol and the warning signs beckoned
for her to steer clear. Exactly why she refused to be a Domme for him.
    The incident the other night was first in a long string of
what she suspected was many drinking binges. He hadn’t said anything and was
doing a fine job of keeping a low profile with the growing habit, but she had
her suspicions that night hadn’t been a one-time event.
    He probably thought the alcohol numbed the pain. And who
could blame him? He had to have one hell of a broken spirit right now. But he’d
reached a point with his drinking where he not only affected himself, but those
who also loved him. The last thing he needed was to show up at the coffeehouse
on a bender. He could burn the place down—something she knew he would never
forgive himself for. A niggling in the back of her mind poked at her to say
something. And this was the perfect opportunity in which to engage him in a
very forthright conversation where she would have his full attention.
    “Hey there. Going to stand out here and freeze?” Looking up,
she found him standing on the porch, a bottle of beer in his hand. It appeared
as though he hadn’t shaved since the night of the engagement party. Possibly
hadn’t even taken a shower given the unkempt appearance of his hair. She’d
thought he’d looked sick at Perfect Shot, but this… this was nearing
critical mass. “Come on in out of the cold. Dinner’s just about ready.”
    The scent of lasagna drifted on the cold air as Alex held
the door open wider in offering. Just as he’d done countless times before and,
more than likely, just as innocently. He was blind to the issue.
    Does he even know how much he’s drinking?
    She shrugged off her coat to hang it on the cherry-stained
coat tree standing inside the door. She’d been here when his mother had given
it to him as a housewarming present a few months ago. A new start for a new
life.
    “Chilly out tonight. Forecasters say we have another storm
headed this way. One right on its heels too.”
    “Wait five minutes, they’ll change their minds.”
    Alex tilted his head in agreement at the old joke about the
inconsistencies of Virginia weather and gestured for her to follow. “Opened a
bottle of red wine about twenty minutes ago to let it breathe. Want to pour
while I serve?”
    She hesitated at the kitchen door, glaring at the seemingly
never-ending line of amber bottles lining the counter beside the sink.
Evidently the beer in his hand wasn’t the first of the night. It appeared as
though he’d spent the entire day working his way through a twelve pack.
    Or three.
    The realization things had gotten a bit out of hand
propelled her forward. Suspicions confirmed about his drinking habits, she
poured a glass of wine and re-corked it without filling the second glass he’d
set out.
    He raised an eyebrow at her omission, but remained quiet.
She sipped as she watched him cut precise slices from the lasagna that appeared
to have seen better days. The wine slid smoothly across her tongue with a rich
bouquet she would have enjoyed if a heavy layer of tension