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"Maybe Marius," his Mistress responded, taking a seat on another stool while she sipped from a bottle of water. "But we'll see. He's a work-in-progress."
Noah's fingertips touched Regina's neck, a gentle and unsanctioned contact, but the concern in his eyes eliminated those boundaries and made it allowable. "Hmm."
Lyda arched a brow. "Some thoughts about him you want to share, Noah?"
"He's messed up. More than usual if he did this. Normally, if you stay within his boundaries, he gives a hundred percent."
The dual stare from two formidable Mistresses, apparently warned Noah that his words had sounded like an admonishment. Regina bit back a smile as he spread out his hands in a placating gesture. "I didn't mean that you should have stayed in those boundaries. I meant that he used to give a hundred percent within them. He's changed."
Regina lifted a shoulder. "His boundaries played it safe, kept him from being the sub he really wants to be. The strain of that is starting to collapse inward on him. I want to change that."
Noah glanced toward his Mistress. "Must be a thing with uber-Dommes."
"Any complaints?" Lyda asked, a gleam in her eye.
"No, Mistress," he said, and dropped to one knee beside her, touching the leg of her jeans. "But it's not playing it safe."
"Safe is boring."
A smile touched his lips. Noah shifted his gaze back to Regina.
"Marius is the kind of friend who'd help move a couch or give someone a ride across the state to visit their sick mom," he added. "Without asking for anything in return. But sometimes I think that's because he doesn't want anyone to have a road inside of him, and letting people help you does that."
Lyda slid the tail of his thick hair through her fingers, tugging. He glanced up at her, a rueful look crossing his face, then brought his attention to Regina again.
"He's been interested in you for some time, Lady Regina. But it wasn't until about eight months ago he asked me about you. I think he wanted to see if I knew more than what he'd picked up from watching you before then."
Well, didn't that just make her pulse flutter?
Lyda dipped inside the collar of Noah's T-shirt to caress damp flesh. "Did I tell you that you could put your shirt back on?" she asked.
"No, Mistress." Staying on his knees, he stripped the garment off with a pleasurable flow of rippling muscle, folded it and handed it to her. Lyda set it next to the flat of plants. "Though I didn't want to get Lady Regina's clothes damp from my sweat," he offered politely.
"A courteous thought, but hindsight, since you didn't know you'd be hugging her. You were anticipating, being modest with what belongs to me. You know I've gotten irritable when some of our customers enjoy looking at you too much."
"Yes." His gaze swept down, a light smile on his firm lips. "My Mistress isn't always in a sharing mood."
Regina grinned as Lyda shot her an oh-shut-up face.
"And who could blame her?" Regina said. "If it's all right with your Mistress, I'd like to know what you told Marius, Noah. When he asked about me."
Noah's body gravitated toward his Mistress as she stroked his bare shoulder, a tacit approval for him to speak. "Not in these exact words, but I warned him if he tried to fuck with your head, you'd grind him into hamburger. That you didn't give an inch in letting a sub play with your emotions. I've never seen you lose control of a scene or not stay a couple steps ahead of your submissives. Ever."
Pleased by the compliment and, because she knew Lyda would be okay with it, Regina leaned forward and squeezed Noah's other shoulder. Lyda dipped down to brush her lips over Noah's while cradling his jaw. His sun-browned hand rose and closed gently over her wrist, stroking her knuckles.
His attitude toward Regina was respectful and affectionate. What shone from the dark brown irises he fixed upon Lyda was adoration. Love. He saw Lyda's dark and light corners, and embraced all of them, as she had his.
Seeing it, Regina ached, and that ache conjured a series of pictures in her mind of Marius. She missed him. Maybe she should have kept him chained in her playroom.
"That'll be all, Noah," Lyda said. "Get back to work."
"Sure thing, Mistress." He grinned at her, teasing her knee with long fingers before obeying, earning a swat. The two women watched him jump the two steps back to the ground and stride back toward the truck.
"He's a treasure," Regina observed. "I should have groped his ass. You wouldn't have cut off my hands."
"Try me," Lyda said dryly. "So, feel better?"
"I do." Regina tossed her an amused look. "I'd keep him around for the hugs alone. The great ass, energetic cock and irresistible banquet of submissive traits are just bonuses."
