The Submissive's Last Word (The Power to Please #4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

white gloves and hid under parasols.”
    Elaine looked a little dreamy. “Mmm. I can picture it.”
    My eyebrows shot up a full inch. “Can you?”
    “Just go on. Tell me what she did next.”
    “All right. So there was Paulina driving this little
two-seater pony cart, and it wasn’t just that it was odd to see Paulina driving
the thing. It was the oddity of what was pulling it. Or I should say,” I paused
for dramatic effect, “ who was pulling it.”
    Elaine didn’t seem to grasp what I was going for. She looked
at me blankly.
    I held my hands out. “Toy! Toy was harnessed up and pulling
the cart. I thought I was going to lose it.”
    She didn’t react how I expected. She frowned. “Toy, huh?”
    “Yeah. It was a hoot. And he was smiling like crazy, proud
as anything. Paulina told me she special-ordered the cart and had the tack custom-made
to fit Toy. I don’t know how I managed to keep a straight face.”
    “Hmm.”
    “Okay, that’s it. You don’t hear a story about a man
harnessed up like a pony and your only reaction is ‘hmm.’ What’s going on? She
wasn’t hurting Toy, if that’s what you’re thinking. He loved it.”
    “No, I’m not worried about him. I’m sure he loved it.”
    It was the way she said “him” that made things click into
place of a sudden, especially when contrasted with the way she said “Mistress”
earlier.
    I think my mouth fell open a little with the realization.
“Elaine — have you got a thing for Paulina?”
    Naturally, the waitress chose that moment to deliver our
beers. I wasn’t about to let Elaine off the hook, though, and as soon as we
were alone again, I repeated my question about Paulina.
    Elaine shrugged, tried unsuccessfully to look casual. “I
find her attractive, I guess.”
    “I had no idea you, you know, went that way.”
    “I don’t, actually. Or, at least, I haven’t. Not until now.”
    “Wow. That’s crazy.”
    “Not really.”
    “You’d think at your age you’d already know if you ... went
that way.”
    “It might shock you, Miss Young Thing, to learn that we
older folk do have a few surprises left in us.”
    I laughed. “I can’t believe it. You’ve got a thing for
Paulina.”
    Elaine actually blushed a little. This was too precious.
    “Oh my God,” I said, “Have you told Ron? What did he say?”
    She took a long drink of her beer. “No, I haven’t told him.
No reason to. Paulina’s not interested in me. She’s got Xavier and Toy. I don’t
even think she’s interested in women.”
    I didn’t know what to say to that, so I drank my beer and
gave the situation some thought. Elaine and Ron had been out to the estate
three or four times since I moved out of their house and into Gibson’s cottage.
They had met with Xavier and Paulina each time.
    Ron had gone fishing with Xavier a few times, and Elaine had
talked gardening with Paulina more than once. I hadn’t noticed any sizzle
between my submissive friend and the platinum-haired switch, but then, I hadn’t
been looking for it, probably hadn’t been paying any attention.
    “Well, anyway,” I said, “Paulina kept me standing out there
next to her carriage talking for a long time. I wanted to get away because the
sun was hot and I didn’t want to be late to meet you, but she didn’t care. You
know how bossy she gets when she’s on a mission. She wouldn’t stop going on
about the picnic she’s having on Sunday.”
    “She’s having a picnic on Sunday. What fun,” Elaine said, a
lame tone in her voice.
    “I don’t know about that. She wouldn’t quit listing the preparations
that need to be done, and you can bet she’s got me roped into helping. It’ll be
a lot of work, but I guess that’s okay. She invited a lot of friends.”
    “Oh, I see.”
    “She’s calling it an Indian Summer Fete. She loves old
fashioned words.”
    “She does,” Elaine said, kind of goofy.
    It was hard not to laugh. “Oh, and I almost forgot. She told
me to invite you and Ron.