Sheltered Love Read online

  Table of Contents

  Synopsis

  By the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  Summer Passion Excerpt

  About the Author

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Synopsis

  Boone Fairway worked hard to buy her own bar and now reaps the benefits. She’s a partier and loves the different women she meets at the bar. When she meets Grey Dawson, she hopes she’ll be one in her string of women. Grey has different ideas. She works at a domestic abuse shelter and feels that bars are a main contributor of abuse.

  When Boone’s sister-in-law shows up at Boone’s bar, beaten by her husband, Boone turns to Grey for help. They work together to help Phoebe and begin a budding relationship. The relationship is strained by Boone’s drinking and the bar, which Grey has a hard time accepting as just a social gathering point.Both women were raised in abusive environments and work hard to overcome their fears and insecurities to make the relationship work.

  Sheltered Love

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  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Sheltered Love

  © 2015 By MJ Williamz. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-180-2

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: July 2015

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Cindy Cresap

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])

  By the Author

  Shots Fired

  Forbidden Passions

  Initiation By Desire

  Speakeasy

  Escapades

  Sheltered Love

  Acknowledgments

  As always, my first thanks go to Laydin for everything she does for me, for her encouragement and support in the writing process. I’d also like to thank Sarah for believing in me and helping me get through this book, which was difficult to write at times. Also, a thank you to Speed for beta reading for me.

  I’d also like to thank Cindy for editing my work for me and for Rad for still letting my books be published.

  For Laydin—Forever

  CHAPTER ONE

  Boone Fairway stretched awake. Her arm bumped the woman next to her.

  “Good morning, sleepy,” the woman said.

  “Good morning.” Boone couldn’t remember her bedmate’s name.

  “I need to get going.” The woman climbed out of bed.

  “Do you need a ride?” Boone asked.

  “I drove last night, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Boone rubbed her eyes as her head throbbed. She didn’t remember much of the night before. She’d had way too many beers. But she commended herself on the nice-looking young woman getting dressed in front of her.

  “So, Boone, you never told me. How old are you really?”

  Boone kept her age a secret. Only her closest friends knew she was forty-two. She passed for a much younger woman and opted to let people assume she was.

  “I don’t talk about how old I am,” she said.

  “So you say. Usually only old people are that weird about their age. And you sure aren’t old.”

  Boone looked at the woman staring at her. She was maybe in her mid-twenties. Boone wondered how old she thought “old people” were. She smiled.

  “Thanks for last night,” she said.

  “My pleasure. I’ll see you at the bar.”

  “I’ll walk you out.” Boone got out of bed and pulled on her boxers and undershirt. She walked the young woman to her door and kissed her before she opened the door for her.

  With her company gone, Boone stepped in the shower and let the warm water wash away her hangover. She dried off and quickly donned cargo shorts and her Oregon T-shirt. The Ducks were playing that day, and she was ready for the bar to be packed.

  She climbed into her black Nissan Frontier and drove to The Boonies, the bar she’d owned for almost twenty years. She walked in to find Christopher setting up the bar.

  “You ready for a big day today?” she asked.

  “We’re going to be packed. It’s the first game of the season. Go Ducks!”

  “Go Ducks, indeed!”

  Boone watched Christopher mopping around the four pool tables and lowering benches and stools. Boone turned on her televisions. There were three hours before the Ducks game, but there would be a few fans of SEC football coming in to watch their teams beforehand.

  Soon the bar had a decent gathering of football fans. There were people watching the Georgia game and quite a few yelling “Roll Tide” as they watched Alabama. Boone was happy. She loved college football. She also loved that the season meant greater profit for the bar.

  She jumped behind the bar to help her bartenders as more and more people came in to get warmed up for the Ducks game. They were playing some nobody team from the East Coast, but their loyal, die-hard fans were piling in to watch the blowout.

  Just before kickoff, two more bartenders showed up, so Boone was able to relax on the other side of the bar and watch the game. As a U of O alumna, she was more than just another Oregonian who loved the blitz-like offense and fancy uniforms. She’d been a fan back when there wasn’t a BCS and, even if there had been, the Ducks wouldn’t have been contenders. No, she loved her Ducks passionately and was proud to have her bar be the go-to place for fans to watch the game.

  She went behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of beer. The first sip tasted bitter, but she soon got past it and drank one after another as her beloved Ducks blew out their opponent. The game ended, and Boone invited a few of the patrons over to her place to swim and have a barbecue.

  Boone grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for the twenty or so people who enjoyed her pool and hot tub. It wasn’t unusual to party at Boone’s place. She was known as a partier and womanizer. It wasn’t that she was averse to the idea of a relationship. It was just that she hadn’t met Ms. Right yet. She worked long hours and partied in her free time, so there wasn’t really much time for her to meet someone to settle down with. While she had plenty of women sharing her bed, none of them were long-term material. And that worked for her.

  As if on cue, one of the women climbed out of the hot tub and walked over to talk to Boone by the grill. The redhead’s name was Dani, and she was a regular at the bar. They’d spent several nights together over the past couple of years.

  “You work too hard. You should be in the water with us.”

  “I will after dinner,” Boone said.

 
“Your Ducks looked amazing today.”

  “Yeah, they did. Must love the Ducks.”

  “Yeah, you do. Hey, would you like some company later on tonight?” Dani asked.

  “I’d like that very much.” Boone looked deep into Dani’s dark green eyes.

  “Good. I’ll plan on staying here tonight.”

  *

  Grey Dawson lit the candles, grabbed her glass of white wine, and slipped into her bubble bath. She had the radio going in the background, the Oregon State Beavers game playing quietly. She wasn’t a true football fan, but she followed her alma mater and liked the background noise of the game. She’d had a busy day at the local soup kitchen. She volunteered there every other Saturday. After her week at the shelter she managed and her day at the soup kitchen, she’d earned the bath. The bubbles, scented lavender vanilla, coated and soothed her.

  She closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling. Soon, the combination of the wine and her team losing their home opener combined to make her melancholy. She considered the fact that she was home alone again on a Saturday night. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on a date. She could count the times on one hand that she’d been out since she split up with Wynn, the abusive alcoholic she’d lived with for seven years.

  She wondered briefly what she was doing wrong. She was attractive, intelligent, community-minded. She was also incredibly busy. The shelter she ran kept her busy for long hours every day. She knew she was married to her job. If she wanted to meet someone, she’d have to really put herself out there.

  Grey was proud of the shelter she’d founded for victims of domestic abuse. She started the shelter five years ago, after almost fifteen years as a private practice counselor. There was a need in the community and she couldn’t ignore it. Grey was always looking for ways to make her city a better place for all.

  She got out of the tub and was toweling off when her phone rang. It was Cecilia from the shelter.

  “Hello?”

  “Grey, can you come down here? We’ve got a new intake, and she needs medical attention. I can’t leave the shelter to take her.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Grey pulled on a gray skirt and yellow blouse then slid into a pair of sandals, dressing quickly as she hurried to get out of the house. She wished, once again, that she had the funding for more staff at the shelter. Weekends were always the worst for new intakes, and she just didn’t have the staff to accommodate all their needs.

  She arrived at the nondescript house in the southwest quadrant of Portland twenty minutes later. The new woman was black-and-blue around the face, with a nose that had clearly been broken.

  “I’m Grey Dawson.” Grey extended her hand to the woman. “I’m going to take you to the hospital.”

  The woman looked at her with large brown eyes full of fear.

  “You’re safe now,” Grey soothed her. “No one can hurt you here.”

  She guided the woman to her car.

  “What’s your name?” she asked.

  The woman shook her head.

  “I understand you’re scared, but we’re going to have to register you at the emergency room. So you’re going to have to tell me your name. Trust me. No one is going to hurt you anymore. Not as long as you stay with us.”

  “My name is Sally,” the woman said through swollen lips.

  “Okay, Sally. We’re going to get you all taken care of. Just relax and keep that ice on your nose.”

  They arrived at the hospital, where Grey was greeted by name. She was, unfortunately, a fairly frequent visitor there. They got Sally checked in and sat in the waiting room. Grey held her hand.

  “So, do you want to tell me what happened?”

  “He got home from the bar and dinner wasn’t ready.”

  “I’m sorry, honey.” It was a story Grey had heard before. “This wasn’t the first time, was it?”

  Sally shook her head.

  “You made the right decision, coming to the shelter.”

  “I had a friend who’d been there. She told me about it.”

  While Grey appreciated word of mouth, she was sad to think of the conversation the women must have had over and over before Sally got the nerve to walk out of her relationship and into the shelter.

  Grey sat with Sally while the doctors set her nose and gave her a prescription for pain pills. They were fortunate that Sally had insurance, which so often wasn’t the case with new residents. When they were finished, they filled her prescription and headed back to the shelter.

  Grey dropped Sally off and let Cecilia finish the intake process. She headed home, where she poured herself another glass of wine as she got ready for bed.

  *

  The party was winding down at Boone’s house. She walked the last guests out and was left alone with Dani.

  “I’ll help you get things cleaned up,” Dani said.

  They worked comfortably together and put things away and straightened up. Dani moved into Boone’s arms.

  “You sure know how to throw a party, Fairway.”

  “Thanks.” Boone wrapped her arms around her. “I’m looking forward to the post party, personally.”

  “As am I.” She looked up at Boone, who bent to take her lips in her own.

  The kiss was soft and tender. Boone wasn’t in any hurry. She knew Dani wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Let’s go back to the hot tub,” Boone said.

  When they reached the backyard, Boone pulled Dani to her and kissed her again, peeling off her bathing suit as she did. Dani stepped out of her suit and pulled Boone’s tank top over her head. Boone slipped off her trunks and took Dani in her arms again. She loved the feel of bare skin against hers. They stepped into the hot tub, the warm water as sensuous as a lover’s caress.

  Boone pulled Dani onto her lap so she was straddling her. She kissed her again, prying her lips open with her tongue. Her nipples hardened at the feel of Dani’s tongue against hers. She felt Dani’s intake of breath and kissed her harder, pressing her breasts into Dani’s.

  Dani wrapped her arms around Boone’s shoulders and moved closer. Boone placed her hands on Dani’s thighs and gently kneaded them. Her skin was soft and her thighs muscular yet feminine. Boone grew more aroused by the moment. She reached her hands around to cup Dani’s ass and slid her closer yet.

  She leaned down and took one of Dani’s nipples in her mouth. It hardened and Boone ran her tongue over it. She moved to the other nipple and sucked it deep.

  Dani took one of Boone’s hands and placed it between her legs. Boone stroked the softness she found there. Dani spread her legs wider and Boone slipped her fingers inside. Dani arched her back and took Boone deeper.

  Boone continued to suckle Dani as she moved her fingers in and out. Dani closed her eyes and cried out as Boone took her to her climax.

  When Dani stopped shaking, they climbed out of the tub and toweled each other off. Boone led Dani into the bedroom and fell onto her king-size bed with her. Dani climbed on top of Boone and kissed her, her hair fanning out around Boone’s face. Boone grabbed her ass and rubbed her all over her stomach. The remnants of Dani’s orgasm coated her belly and made her hotter than ever.

  Dani scooted lower on her and kissed Boone’s breast, taking a nipple in her mouth. She rolled it around on her tongue before moving to the next. She sucked hard on it, and Boone felt the electric currents firing in her clit. She moved on the bed, needing more from Dani, who slid down her body and climbed between her legs.

  Boone felt Dani’s tongue on her and her head spun. Dani licked her all over, paying close attention to her swollen clit. Boone spread her legs wider and raised her hips, urging more contact.

  As Dani continued to work her magic, Boone grew dizzy as the blood rushed to the bundle of nerves at her core. She gripped the sheets and let out a guttural moan as the orgasm coursed through her.

  Dani curled up next to Boone, cuddling in her arms. Boone was happy she hadn’t had too much to drink. She liked Dani a
nd was comforted knowing she’d know the woman in her bed the next morning.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “I miss him,” Martha Payne said.

  Grey sat at her desk, looking at the woman on her couch. She had heard this phrase all too often. She knew she had to be tender yet assertive with the woman. It was a fine line to walk.

  “What about him do you miss?” she asked.

  “He loves me. And he’s really a good person.”

  Grey stared at the cast on Martha’s arm, courtesy of her husband, Bruce.

  “Yet look what he did to you.”

  “I know. But I made him angry.”

  “Martha, we’ve talked about this. You really can’t take the blame for what happened. And what about if you make him angry again? Who knows what he’s capable of? Who knows what he might do next time?”

  “I know. And I know I’m free to leave here any time. I know you’re right, but I miss him.”

  “What can we do to help you take your mind off that?”

  “I try to keep busy, but clearly I need to do more.”

  “Have you met with Connie?” Grey knew from her chart that Martha hadn’t met with their career planner.

  “No.”

  “I really think you should. A job would give you more confidence in yourself and keep you busy.”

  “But I’ve never been to college.”

  “That’s okay. You’re a smart, capable woman and you would do well at any job you put your mind to.”

  “Yeah, if someone would hire me.”

  “We’ve got connections in the community, Martha. I’d like to set up a time for you to meet with Connie.”

  She turned to her computer and scanned the monitor.

  “She can see you tomorrow at ten. May I pencil you in?”

  “Sure.” Martha didn’t sound enthusiastic.

  “What are your apprehensions? Is it more than your education?”

  “I haven’t worked in years. What if I don’t have skills?”

  Grey knew low self-esteem was a constant threat among her residents. They’d been told they were worthless for so long, they started to believe it.