Her smile was broader now, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners. “That’s a good boy you have, Shani,” she said in her deep, calm voice, nodding slowly. The girls quieted around the table, all eyes now on Nina, who clearly still held considerable sway over her adult daughters. “I can see he has not only a good appetite, but a good heart, yeah? It’s good to see you happy again, daughter. The light has come back into your eyes. The time for mourning and grief is over. Maybe now you can let your beautiful hair grow once more, along with the love in your heart.”
Chapter 10
After the meal, they all moved out to the wraparound porch to relax and enjoy the fresh air. Within a few minutes, Kaiah and Yareli’s husbands, George and Jacy, showed up with the kids in tow. Kaiah’s twin boys, Dakota and Jalen, shot out of the old pickup truck and hurtled up to the porch as Shani got excitedly to her feet.
The boys, now aged ten, must have grown a foot since she’d seen them the year before. She hugged them both at once while they chattered excitedly about the milkshakes they’d had at McDonalds and what positions they played on their Little League team. Meanwhile, Jacy helped his and Yareli’s three-year-old daughter, Naira, up the stairs, holding her pudgy hand in his as she took the steps one at a time.
Shani crouched down in front of the sweet little girl, so excited to see how big she’d gotten. When she reached out to hug her, Naira pulled away and buried her face shyly against her father’s leg. She no longer remembered her Aunt Shani. The realization broke Shani’s heart a little. Why had she stayed away for so long?
No more, she silently promised herself. I won’t let that bully keep me from my family any longer. I’m done running. I’m done hiding.
They got to the event center about an hour before the doors would be opened to the public. They parked in the back lot, which already contained quite a few cars. Adam looked smoking hot in a pale green long-sleeved T-shirt that picked up the deep green of his eyes. He wore it over form-fitting black leather pants and black, square-toed boots. Shani had on her favorite red leather minidress that zipped up the front, her body bare beneath it, her feet shod in her red cowboy boots.
She was both excited and a little anxious about selling her jewelry. Though she was limited by the prohibitive cost of the raw materials, each piece she made was special to her, and she’d always eventually given them away to people she loved.
But Adam had made a good point. If she sold some of her existing inventory, she could use the proceeds to buy additional materials to make more jewelry, including a line of BDSM-themed pieces. The thought of actually making a living selling her work was intriguing.
There were easily twenty booths lined up on either side of the main entrance, as well as a half dozen or so permanent storefronts set up along one wall of the huge warehouse. “I want to introduce you to Allie Byrne, the woman I was telling you about with the BDSM jewelry line,” Adam said. “I bet she can give you some great pointers on how to get started. She sells online and she also rents a permanent space here at BDSM Connections.”
They greeted Bob in his back office, and Adam collected his cash box for the night’s sales. “Say, do you know if Allie Byrne is here yet?” Adam asked Bob.
“She sure is,” Bob replied. “She’s up front in her shop.”
They made their way past dozens of scene stations set up and waiting for the guests to arrive. Shani was instantly aroused by the whipping posts, bondage tables, suspension racks, spanking benches and St. Andrew’s crosses they passed. Her desire must have shown in her face, because Adam put his arm around her and drew her close with a laugh. “You’ll have to wait till later, Princess. Work before pleasure.” He slipped his hand in the front of her dress, finding her nipple and giving it a sharp tweak.
“Hmmm,” she moaned, instantly on fire.
They arrived at their assigned booth. Adam set down his cash box, slid his gear bag from his shoulder and put it under the table. “You can share my cash box and we can settle up later,” he said. “I’ve got a portable credit card reader in my gear bag and we can keep track with that.”
“You’re assuming I’ll sell anything,” Shani said with a nervous laugh.
Part of her nerves, indeed, most of them, weren’t centered on her jewelry at all, but on the possibility of seeing Sir at this event. It had been over a year. He’d never, as far as she knew, made any effort to find out where she’d gone or do any creepy stalker stuff. Yet, even after all this time and all her personal growth, she remained scared of him on some level. Coming back to the “scene of the crime” had reawakened some of her old fears and insecurities.
Then she looked at Adam, smiling down at her, and shook away the negative thoughts. Even if the asshole showed up here, what could he do to her? He only had as much power over her now as she chose to allow him. She wasn’t that lost girl anymore. She had found herself again on Desire Island. She was Shani, one of the five noble princess warriors, and if he tried to fuck with her now, she’d laugh in his face.
“You’re right,” Adam agreed, pulling her back to the moment. “I predict you’ll sell out of what you have in a New York minute. Let me take you over to meet Allie. I texted her about you and she’s dying to meet you.” He pulled Shani’s portable glass jewelry case from inside one of the open shipping boxes he’d stored under the table. “Let’s take your stuff over with us so she can help with the pricing.”
They entered a small, enclosed storefront with Allie’s Creations painted in calligraphic lettering on the window glass and in smaller lettering beneath, BDSM-Themed Jewelry for All Occasions.
The small space contained floating shelves along all the walls filled with artfully displayed jewelry. A very pretty young woman with auburn hair and dark blue eyes was behind the glass-topped counter at the back, arranging pieces on velvet-lined trays. She wore a beautiful collar of deep red leather around her neck, a rose gold padlock in the shape of a heart dangling from its center. Her leather bustier was dyed the same rich burgundy.
She looked up as they came in, her face lighting in a smile of recognition. “Adam Hawk,” she said, coming from around the counter as he set Shani’s box down. “It’s been too long. It’s so great to see you again.”
After they embraced, Adam said, “Allie, this is Shani Youngblood, the jewelry artisan I was telling you about.”
Allie took Shani’s hand in hers, her expression warm and kind. “It’s great to meet you, Shani. I can’t wait to see your work.”
“Oh,” Shani said embarrassed. “I just do it for fun. I’ve never actually sold anything.”
Allie shrugged, smiling. “It started as a hobby for me, too. I got some great help and advice along the way, and I’d be more than happy to share what I’ve learned with you. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
“If you girls will excuse me,” Adam interjected. “I’m going to go set up my stuff. I’ll leave a space on the end of the table for you, Shani.”
“Okay, thanks,” Shani said, feeling a little overwhelmed, but also excited.
After Adam had disappeared, Allie said, “I hope I’m not overstepping to say this, but I’ve known Adam for a few years and I’ve never, ever seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. Could it be someone has finally stolen that guy’s heart?”