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“I wasn’t entirely truthful, before,” he said.
For the life of her she couldn’t imagine what he was referring to. “When?”
“When I broke up with you and I said you weren’t a submissive.”
“Why did you say that?” She’d always wondered. “It confused me for the longest time.”
“There’s really no excuse for it. We met online and the attraction was there. But you looked so young and you were so inexperienced. I feared I’d corrupt you if I told you everything I needed in a relationship. Or that I’d change you and you’d end up hating me for it.”
“So you thought lying was better?”
He winced. Yup. She’d nailed it. “In my mind, I was only stretching the truth. Saying I didn’t think you were a submissive was easier than admitting my own predilections were too intense for most submissives.” He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry that my actions led to confusion on your part.”
It would be easy to get angry with him. She could allow herself to be wounded and upset. Or she could be thankful they had a second chance and could look with excitement toward the future they were building. Besides . . .
“I think it worked out for the best that way,” she said.
He cocked an eyebrow. “How’s that?”
“If you’d told me up front what you needed, I probably would have run away. I was too new and scared. But having it happen this way, I’ve learned on my own, without being influenced by anyone or anything, that I am a submissive. And you have to admit, living with Nathaniel and Abby hasn’t hurt either.”
A slow grin came across his face. “No, it probably hasn’t.”
“It’s like it all came together the way it did for a reason.” She gave his cheek a kiss. “So no dwelling on the past, okay? Only today and the future.”
“I can’t think of anything better than dwelling on the future with you. In fact.” He turned and reached into a bag beside the bed. She remembered he’d had it with him before they’d started the scene. He turned back around and held a small black velvet pouch. “I know you’re going to be teaching school, so I didn’t want to get anything that would call attention to itself. Lynne, will you wear my collar?”
Her hand flew to her mouth. His collar? She’d hoped maybe one day he would offer it, but she hadn’t expected it so soon. It wasn’t what she normally thought of when she thought of a collar. It was a thin platinum chain with a puzzle-piece charm.
It was quirky and just a little crazy for a BDSM collar. She loved it.
She threw her arms around him. “Yes!”
He pulled her close, and when his lips touched hers, she could see it so clearly: her future with Simon, todays and tomorrows filled with laughter, love, and dirty, dirty sex.
Epilogue
Abby
One month later
I gave Nathaniel a kiss and shooed him out of the house. Dena, Julie, Sasha, and Lynne were over, and we had put a very strict “No Doms Allowed” rule in place. The architect Nathaniel and Luke had hired was coming over to chat about design ideas from a sub’s perspective.
I had to admit, I was a bit on edge. Nathaniel just happened to bring up in a very by the way kind of tone the night before that it just so happened the architect was Cole Johnson’s ex-slave, Kate.
“It’ll be fine,” he assured me as I stared at him in disbelief before he left. “Sasha’s met her.”
“You are such a man,” I said. “Sasha may have met her. That doesn’t mean she wants to be around her.” I wasn’t as close to Sasha as Julie, but what woman wanted her significant other’s ex in her business?
“You don’t give Sasha enough credit.”
“Nathaniel.” I put my hands on my hips. “How long have we been married?”
“Is this a trick question?”
“No, but it’s been a long-ass time, right?”
He nodded.
“And yet even though we’ve been married a long-ass time and have two kids, and I love you with all of my being, I still don’t want to sit down and chat with your exes.”
“Cole recommended her.”
I rolled my eyes. Honestly. “Cole is also a man.”
“Be glad I shot down his idea to have her over with Sasha serving tea.” I must have looked horrified because he kissed me softly. “Nothing we can do about it now. Just keep them both away from any sharp objects.”
Currently, everyone was gathered in the living room while we waited for Kate to arrive. Far enough away from the kitchen that the knives should be safe. And though we were all trying not to, it was obvious everyone was keeping an eye on Sasha.
“Jesus, would you all chill out?” she finally said. “I am one hundred and ten percent secure in my relationship with Cole, and this is not a big deal. In fact, we actually had Kate over for dinner last night.”
“Oh my God.” Julie was sitting beside her and punched her arm. “You did not. You guys had dinner with me and Daniel.”
“Right, it was the night before.”
I didn’t believe for a second Kate had had dinner with Cole and Sasha, but Sasha did seem to be taking everything in stride and didn’t appear the least bit anxious. In fact, it might have been my imagination, but she had a look on her face that gave the impression she knew something the rest of us didn’t.
I didn’t have a chance to call her on it, because the doorbell rang. Okay, maybe Sasha was fine, but I was more than a little curious about the woman who’d been Cole’s slave for eight years.
For as long as I’d been in the lifestyle, I still had an overactive imagination, and it was a bit anticlimactic when I opened the door to find a very ordinary woman. Granted, she was very attractive, tall and willowy, with pale skin, black hair, and the bluest eyes I’d ever seen.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Kate.”
She looked every bit the professional with a leather briefcase and a tailored suit I knew must have been handmade.
“Hello, Kate.” I opened the door so she could come in. “I’m Abby. Come on in. Everyone’s in the living room.”
“Thank you.” She stepped inside and looked around. “Beautiful home.”
“Thanks.”
I led her into the living room and only had to introduce her to Lynne, since she knew everyone else. She said hello to Julie, oohed and aahed over Dena’s infant daughter, and shocked the hell out of me by giving Sasha a hug.
“I knew he’d get his head out of his ass eventually,” she said. “And is that his collar . . . ?”
Sasha flushed and fingered the priceless family heirloom Cole had collared her with over the summer. “Yes. It’s been in his family for ages.”
“I’m so happy for you guys.” And by the tone of her voice and the expression on her face, I believed her.
As Kate settled into a nearby chair and started pulling out papers, it struck me that not only was she gorgeous, but she was smart as hell, too. She’d walked into what could have been an awkward situation and immediately defused it. And in doing so, she’d won the respect of every woman present.
She went over her proposed ideas for the club, and we all bounced a few things around. Kate took notes on everything we suggested and offered a few ideas of her own. She told us she’d been to Germany recently and had visited a club there. While drawing up the plans, she had incorporated several ideas.
“You know,” I told her. “If you’d like to join a club while you’re here, you’re more than welcome to join this group. If that’s too awkward for you, Nathaniel and I could recommend you for our New York club.”
She looked uncertain for the first time since she’d walked into the house. “Thanks, but I’m not in the lifestyle anymore.”
“What? Why not?” Sasha asked, voicing what the rest of us were thinking.
“I’ve decided it’s not for me.” Her voice sounded certain, but she wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.
