Sweet Nothings

ZACH

A mother’s hug can be the best medicine when you’re feeling down and out. But her nagging voice, schooling you about trust in your chosen life partner, can be a real pain.

“You know Tyler, Zachary. You know he wouldn’t lie.”

“I know, mother.”

She’s right, of course, but I had walked away, leaving Tyler to fend for himself in an argument. I had abandoned my husband, my family, because I didn’t trust him.

“He hurt me, ma.”

“And you’ve hurt him, physically, yet he’s still here for you.”

“Don’t remind me.”

She insists on reminding me, though. She didn’t raise me to run from my mistakes. I’m supposed to learn from them, just like Tyler did. Did he?

I know he did. That’s why I started seeing a therapist.

“It’s our private business.”

She disagrees. She thinks it’s her business when her sons are fighting, especially when one of them shows up unexpectedly, setting off alarms on her property.

“I had your father out there seeing who dared to steal one of my horses.”

“Can you not just leave it, ma?” I ask, grabbing a cookie from the box she’s packing. It’s crunchy and gooey, just like they’ve always been. The chocolate melts on my tongue, and I can’t help but groan in pleasure.

“You’re a family unit now. You need to act like one,” she says, looking at my father.

I’ve noticed that my parents haven’t been as close lately. They’ve been spending more time alone, and my father has been working with the horses more than usual. He hasn’t said a word since he came into the house.

“Like you two, ma?” I ask, my tone sweet and innocent, even though I’m pushing her buttons.

I brace myself for a smack, but it doesn’t come. This time.

“Yes, like us two,” she says, smiling.

“You’re not fooling anyone, ma. You haven’t touched in weeks, you’re sleeping in separate rooms, and you’re only talking to him now because I’m here,” I say, pointing out the elephant in the room. My father sighs and takes a cookie, probably to distract himself.

“Exactly, Zach. Your father has pissed me off more than anyone ever has, yet we’re still a team. And I’m standing here in the room with him when I could be bashing his head in with my frying pans for what he did to you,” she says, looking between the two of us.

“You should have done the same with Tyler and argued between yourselves alone at home,” she says, her voice stern. I don’t need or want this lecture.

“I didn’t want to hurt him,” I say, reaching for another cookie. She swats my hand away.

“Trust in your husband, son.”

“I do.”

“Liar.”

I sigh and look to my father for support, but he gives me nothing.

“Your mother’s right. No matter what happens, you have a family that needs you. All of you.”

“Well… technically, Violet only needs Tyler…” I start to say, but my mother smacks me upside the head before I can finish.

“You think Tyler would up and run into the sunset with the two of them? That boy would leave your house and his child. Hurting himself before he would hurt you, and I won’t hear otherwise,” she says, her words cutting deep.

I know she’s right. Tyler would never take the girls away from me. He’d sacrifice everything to make sure I was okay.

“You’re right, ma.”

“Always am. Now take these cookies home and talk with the three of them. And bring me my grandbaby for a visit, please?” She kisses me on the cheek, and I pull her into a hug. I breathe in the scent of my mother, enjoying the comfort of her arms around me.

“I don’t deserve you, ma.”

“No, you don’t! So start behaving like the man I brought you up to be and make me proud.”

They rush me out the door after our talk, and I get into my father’s car with the cookies on the passenger seat.

“I’ll get it tomorrow,” he says as I start the engine.

Before long, I’m pulling into our driveway. I gather the boxes of lactation cookies and head inside. I hear them before I even reach the hallway. They’re all talking in the kitchen.

“Oops,” Violet says, dropping her ice cream down her chest. It slides down between her breasts and settles in her belly button.

Callum is already leaning down, licking up the ice cream, while Tyler sits next to her, whispering sweet nothings into her neck.

“Fuck, if this isn’t the most erotic thing to walk in on in the middle of the evening, I don’t know what is,” I say, setting the cookies on the counter.

“Don’t stop on my account,” I say, but they all freeze, especially Tyler. He looks at me like I shouldn’t be here. Maybe I shouldn’t be. I did abandon them when they probably needed me the most.

“Where’s Ella?”

“Baby swing,” Violet says, nodding toward the chair by the sofa where Ella is sleeping.

“You gonna carry on, or can I have Tyler for the evening?”

Violet smirks and looks between Callum and Tyler.

“I guess we can spare him, as long as you make it good for him,” she says, challenging me.

“Best get your ass dressed then, Ty?” I say, and Tyler nods and heads to the bathroom. He comes out in a pair of blue slacks and a white shirt, looking completely different from the Tyler who was sitting on the kitchen counter in lounge pants, kissing our fiancé.

This Tyler seems unsure of himself around me. I understand why, and I think I have a solution.

“We’ll be at the club, room one thousand and two. It’s private,” I say, looking at Violet. She looks disappointed, but I need this. And I think Tyler needs it too, even if he doesn’t realize it yet.

We take my car to town. Tyler sits next to me in silence, staring out the window.

“I’m sorry,” I say when we’re a block away from the club. He shrugs, choosing to remain silent. I hurt him, again.

“I want you to punish me,” I say as I pull into the parking garage.

“Why?”

“What I did earlier was wrong. I should have believed you,” I say, but he scoffs and continues to look out the window. His body language is clear: back off.

“Come on?”

“What if I say no?” he asks. I’m speechless. He’s never said no to me before. He’s never turned down a chance to take me to the playroom or to be with me.

“Then I guess we just talk?” I suggest, because that’s what my mother told me to do. Talk in private, and show a united front in public.

“You’re not much of a talker.”

“Maybe I could give it a shot?” I suggest with a shrug. A small smile tugs at his lips, and I count it as a win.

“Alright then,” he says, already opening the car door before I realize he’s getting out. I quickly follow his lead, stepping out of the car.

He’s already at the elevator, pressing the button before I’ve even locked the car.

“I’ve hurt you,” I admit, seeing the pain etched on his face. He can’t even meet my gaze.

“You have,” he concedes. An uncomfortable silence stretches between us as we wait for the elevator. When the doors finally open, we step inside. “My mother did too.”

“Your mother?” I ask, confused.

“I never laid a hand on her, not like that. But you both assumed I did,” he says. I’m about to remind him that he did, years ago. I saw it with my own eyes. But I bite my tongue, keeping my mouth shut.

“Go ahead, Zachary. Say it. Tell me I did it. I can see it in your eyes. You’re dying to remind me,” he challenges.

“But I promised to believe you,” I remind him.

“And yet you ran away when I needed you most. Proving it was all just empty words.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” I defend myself.

“But you’ve brought me here, where you have access to all sorts of things that could hurt me. Hell, you could even force me to sleep with someone I don’t want to, all in the name of punishment.”

“We’re not here for you to be punished,” I assure him, pulling him to face me so he can see the sincerity in my eyes.

“But I need it. I can’t cope without it…” I pause, letting my words sink in. And they do. His body tenses with the need to punish me for the pain I’ve caused him. “Sir.”

Something shifts in him at my admission. He shudders, and suddenly his hand is around my neck, pushing me against the elevator wall.

“You’ve been a bad pet,” he says, his voice low and dangerous.

I swallow hard at the way he says pet. I know I’m not restrained and could fight back, but I see the challenge in his eyes. And I don’t take it.

I don’t challenge him because this is the Tyler I need right now. Maybe hearing that ridiculous pet name will be enough to make this good for both of us.

“So… what are you going to do about it, sir?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.