Change (Finding Anna Book 5) Read online

  Change

  Finding Anna, Book 5

  Sherri Hayes

  Change

  Finding Anna Series

  Sherri Hayes

  Copywrite © 2020 by Sherri Hayes

  Ebook ISBN: 978-1-948471-01-5

  Paperback ISBN: 978-1-948471-02-2

  Cover Design by Sara Eirew

  All rights reserved. No part of this book ay be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

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

  Contents

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  What’s Next?

  Sneak Peek Of Welcome To Serpent’s Kiss

  Other Titles By Sherri Hayes

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  About This Book

  In this long-awaited next installment, Brianna and Stephan are settling into their new home outside of Le Sueur. The river that runs behind their house provides a peace Brianna had never found in the city.

  It’s been three years since she stood in a courtroom and faced the man who’d held her captive and altered her life forever. Since then, she’d been trying to move on with her life...trying to find her way.

  The move was part of that. Too many people knew who Stephan was—who she was. They needed a fresh start.

  But demons are funny things. They follow you wherever you go. With the help of Stephan and a new therapist, Brianna will have to face the changes in her life and confront her fears.

  Chapter 1

  Brianna

  My heart was pounding in my chest as I raced around the house checking to see if everything was perfect. I needed to calm down.

  It had been a little over a month since we’d moved from Minneapolis to our new home, and I was still getting used to the space. That wasn’t what had me frantically looking over every surface, checking to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, though.

  The reason I was plumping pillows and straightening books was because Stephan was on his way home with Lily and Logan. It would be their first time at our new house since we got settled and I wanted it to be just right.

  As the thought popped into my mind, I heard Stephan telling me to breathe. Even when he wasn’t here beside me, I could still feel him near.

  I lifted my hand to cover the necklace I wore around my neck. My collar. With the tips of my fingers I traced the infinity symbol entwined with the heart. It was a symbol of our commitment to each other and our relationship. He was my Dom and I was his submissive.

  The muscles in my shoulders began to relax a little and I took a deep, cleansing breath. Everything would be all right.

  I placed the book I held in my hand back on the coffee table. Our new house was bigger than Stephan’s condo in Minneapolis. It had a huge kitchen, something Stephan had insisted on when we were looking for a new home. He claimed it was so I could spoil him with even more delicious meals.

  My gaze turned to the kitchen. Every surface was clean, and everything was in its place. A salad and some cut up fruit I’d made to go with dinner were sitting on the large island that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Stephan had said to keep it simple, and it didn’t get much simpler than roast chicken with salad and fruit.

  The sound of car doors slamming drew my attention and I rushed to the foyer to greet Stephan and our guests.

  Anticipation curled in my belly as I waited the couple minutes it took for them to make their way inside. The door opened and I couldn’t help but smile as I saw Stephan cross the threshold. He closed the distance between us before Logan and Lily had made it through the door.

  The moment he touched me, I melted into him. Warmth surged through me as he brushed his lips against mine and his fingers caressed my cheek. His scent surrounded me, instantly comforting me. “I missed you, sweetheart,” he whispered.

  His eyes were full of love as he met my gaze. “I missed you, too, Sir.”

  “Something smells good,” Logan said, breaking the spell between Stephan and me.

  Over the last three years I’d gotten to know Logan. He didn’t frighten me like he once had. That didn’t mean I was completely comfortable with him, but it also meant I didn’t want to run and hide when he walked into the room either.

  “I made roast chicken.”

  Lily sighed. “I miss your cooking. It’s not the same without you two in the city.”

  Stephan guided us into the dining room, keeping me at his side. “We’re only an hour away. It’s not as if we moved across the country.”

  “Yes, but I can’t pop in whenever the mood strikes me anymore.”

  Lily was pouting, which seemed to amuse Stephan. “Explain to me again how that’s a bad thing?”

  Logan chuckled, while Lily’s mouth twisted. I knew she probably wanted to say something but was biting her tongue. It was the weekend, which meant she and Logan were playing. If she were disrespectful to another Dom, there would be consequences.

  Instead of commenting, Lily took the seat Logan offered her.

  “I’ll help you bring everything to the table,” Stephan said, placing a hand on my lower back.

  Because I’d kept things simple, it didn’t take more than a few minutes to bring the food into the dining room. Stephan carved the chicken while I got everyone something to drink.

  Stephan held my chair for me, and then skimmed his fingers along my neck, sending shivers down my spine before taking his own seat. He sent me a knowing grin as he reached for the salad bowl and began loading salad onto my plate. I lowered my head and felt heat creep into my cheeks.

  “So, how did the board meeting go?” Logan asked as he piled chicken onto his plate.

  “Good, I suppose. Donations are up, but so are costs.” Stephan let out a frustrated sigh. “I wish I could do more. I don’t like sitting on the sidelines.”

  Guilt nudged at me. Stephan had to resign because he’d saved me. It wasn’t right. I wished there were something I could do to help but considering I still hadn’t completely convinced my childhood friend, Cal, I didn’t have much hope that I could persuade the general public.

  “I wish I had more time on my hands,” Logan said. “I’ve been working way too much lately. This is the first weekend I’ve had off in over two months.”

  Lily stabbed a piece of lettuce with her fork. “We thought this new position would mean he’d be home more, but so far I’m lucky if I see him an hour before we head to bed.”

  Logan nodded. “I’m hoping once I rework a few things, that I can get on a more normal schedule, but the person who was in the position before me was extreme
ly unorganized.”

  “I’m sure you’ll get it sorted eventually.” Stephan opened his mouth to say more but was cut short when Lily moaned.

  Everyone turned their attention to her. At first, I thought maybe Logan was making her wear a toy or something, but then she shoveled another piece of food into her mouth and moaned again. She was halfway through her second bite when she realized we were all staring at her. “I told you I missed Brianna’s cooking. And with Logan working so much, I’ve been eating way too much takeout. This is heaven!”

  Logan and Stephan laughed.

  “Here I thought Logan had decided to make dinner interesting.” Stephan grinned as he reached for his water.

  Lily met Stephan’s gaze, then looked at me. Since the incident almost four years ago where I tried to watch her and Logan in a scene and I freaked out, Lily was always cautious when discussing play around me. She knew I was fine with her and Logan’s dynamic, but it was Logan doing things to her that was sometimes difficult for me even though I knew everything between them was consensual. Their play tended to be a lot rougher than what Stephan and I did. “My Dom decided to be a little more discreet tonight. I currently have a rather large plug up my bum.”

  The look on Lily’s face said she was quite fine with having a butt plug inserted into her anus. I swallowed and breathed through the anxiety that stirred in my belly. Stephan and I hadn’t had anal sex. We’d talked about it once while going through some of his toys, but I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to do it. I couldn’t say that it would never happen, though. Stephan had worked hard to make me comfortable with a lot of things.

  One of those things had nothing to do with sex. He’d encouraged me to ask questions. “Does it hurt?”

  Luckily, Lily was used to me asking questions that some people might find strange. “No.” She wiggled in her chair. “I wouldn’t say it’s comfortable, but it’s not painful.”

  Stephan reached for my hand and brought it up to his lips. His eyes sparkled with happiness and I knew he was proud of me.

  After that, the conversation drifted back to things in the city. It was only as we were cleaning up that Logan pulled Lily to his side and cleared his throat. “Lily and I have a bit of an announcement to make.”

  Stephan dried his hands on a towel and reached for my hand. I knew he did that for my benefit. I didn’t always handle news well.

  Logan looked at Lily and then to us. “Lily and I are getting married and we’d like for both of you to be in the wedding.”

  “Congratulations!” Stephan gave both Logan and Lily a hug before returning to stand beside me.

  Lily walked over to me and took hold of my free hand. “I’d like for you to be in our wedding, but I understand if you’re not comfortable participating. I won’t be upset or anything.”

  Even though I knew there’d most likely be a lot of people, which would be challenging for me, I wanted to be part of Lily’s wedding. She was the first friend I made after Stephan rescued me. She’d helped me so much. “Can I think about it?”

  “Of course.” Lily pulled me in for a hug before releasing me and returning to stand beside Logan. “This is going to be so much fun.”

  I looked over at Stephan, and for a moment, our gazes met and that connection I felt with him had me wishing we were alone. He squeezed my hand and I knew he felt it, too.

  Lily didn’t seem to notice what was happening between me and Stephan. She was too caught up in her own excitement. “Will you go dress shopping with me?” She didn’t wait for me to respond before asking, “What’s your schedule like this coming week?”

  Stephan

  Lily was like a whirlwind. By the time we all called it a night, I was nursing the first signs of a headache.

  As Lily had gone on about the need to find dresses, flowers, invitations, and other wedding stuff I had little to no knowledge of, I could feel the tension growing in Brianna. She hadn’t signaled to me that she had reached a seven, but if I was feeling overwhelmed, I knew she had to be as well.

  Once Logan and Lily retreated upstairs to their room, Brianna and I headed into the master bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind us, I held out my hand. “Come here, Brianna.”

  Her response was immediate. She took my hand and I crushed her against me, enfolding her in my arms. “What number?”

  She didn’t answer right away, but I knew she would. “Five, Sir.”

  I kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “You did well tonight. Lily can get a little carried away.”

  “I never realized there was so much to do for a wedding.” Brianna ran her fingers along the fabric of my shirt. Her touch was so light it almost tickled.

  “Neither did I, but then again, this is Lily. You know how she is when it comes to planning a party.”

  Without warning, I scooped Brianna up and carried her over to the high-backed chair in the corner. It was the same one that had been in her room at the condo. When we’d moved into our new home, we’d discussed her having her own room as she had in the city, but she had no desire for her own space. Given we hadn’t slept apart for almost four years, and that I slept better with her beside me, we combined our things into one bedroom.

  Brianna snuggled into my lap, resting her head on my shoulder and toying with the buttons on my shirt. This was one of my favorite things, something I looked forward to every night, holding her in my arms as she sat on my lap, just the two of us. It was a time for us to decompress and to communicate anything we needed to. Normally, we had these conversations in the living room, but as we had guests at the moment, the chair in our bedroom would suffice.

  She traced her index finger along my collarbone sending a jolt directly to my groin. It was an innocent touch on her part, but it didn’t matter. My body knew her and responded. “I want to be in Lily’s wedding.”

  “But?” I could hear the reservation in her voice.

  “I don’t want to have a panic attack and ruin everything.”

  Her nose skimmed the side of my neck as she cuddled closer. Purely on instinct, I held her tighter. “You need to talk to Lily about your concerns. The wedding is four months away. We have time to prepare.” I tilted her chin up so she could look at me. “I love you, Brianna.”

  Her sweet smile warmed my soul. “I love you, too, Sir.”

  I gave her a soft kiss, and then rubbed my thumb along her jaw. “How was your day?”

  “Okay.” She glanced down, a sure sign she’d done something she didn’t think I’d be pleased about. “I spent most of the time you were gone cleaning the house.”

  I frowned. “You cleaned the house yesterday.”

  “I know. I just…I wanted everything to be perfect for Logan and Lily.”

  Several moments ticked by before I responded. While I’d gotten used to how Brianna’s mind worked over the years, I still preferred hearing her explanations directly. It did no good to assume. “Why did you think the house needed to be cleaned again?”

  “I noticed the windows had some spots, so I cleaned them. Then a few minutes later, I noticed some specs of dirt on the stairs. I kept noticing little things and cleaning them up.”

  “Do you think Logan and Lily would have been bothered by spots on our windows?” Brianna’s OCD tendencies had not abated in the years since we’d met. At first, I’d thought they were a learned behavior from her time with Ian. I wasn’t so sure anymore. Then again, the only things she tended to be that way about had to do with cleaning and the space around her being tidy. She never had an issue with her clothes or her hair or anything else for that matter. It was perplexing.

  She hesitated. “No, Sir.”

  I considered my options but decided to let it go for now. “Did you write in your journal while I was gone?”

  “Yes. It’s hard coming up with my five goals.”

  Brianna’s new therapist, Dr. Katlin, had been talking to her about where she’d like to see herself in five years. She’d asked Brianna to come u
p with five goals for herself. Each day this week, I’d given her the task of coming up with one thing she’d like to accomplish in that time frame. Ones that weren’t sexual in nature, since those types of goals were things we discussed regularly.

  “It can be difficult to set goals for oneself, but you have to strive toward something if you wish to achieve it.”

  “What if I have everything I want?” she asked in not much more than a whisper.

  I kissed the top of her head before resting my cheek on her hair. “It’s perfectly fine to be content with what you have, but we should always be learning and growing.”

  She nodded.

  I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was nearly eleven and we had a long day ahead of us. We needed to get to bed. Lifting Brianna from my lap, we walked hand in hand into the en suite bathroom.

  As with the rest of the house, the master bathroom was much bigger in this house than in my condo. It had all the things I’d loved about my condo bathroom, including a huge tub that Brianna and I had already made use of several times since moving in. The other wonderful feature of our new bathroom was our state-of-the-art shower. I could program it so the water was whatever temperature I wanted it to be and I could control the multiple showerheads with the push of a button.

  I discarded my clothes and turned on the water before directing my attention to Brianna. She preferred jeans and T-shirts, but often wore skirts and dresses because she knew I liked to have easy access to what was mine.