Could she join them? She mentally shook her head. Nah, the way she was feeling right now she shouldn’t drink alcohol and wouldn’t stick to water or pop if she went near the bar.
Jackson entered, she gave him a chin lift, and he sauntered over to her.
She did her best to smile. “Scoping out the room?”
Jackson didn’t seem any happier than she. “No one’s playing.”
She frowned. “We have unattached Tops and bottoms, but there aren’t any good fits. We need fresh blood and more single Doms.”
Jackson was quiet for a moment and rubbed his chin. The sandpapery sound of stubble reminded Kate of the shadow on Chris’s face in the morning.
She almost jumped when Jackson spoke. “I know someone who might be interested. I’m fairly certain he’s a Dominant and has lifestyle experience.”
Kate made an appreciative sound and leaned forward. “Sounds interesting. I hope he isn’t a sadist; I don’t think any of the subs we have right now are serious masochists. We have plenty of subs looking for Dominants. Run it by Mitch or Scott.” She gave him another weak tilt of her lips. Jackson was a good-looking man. Like Chris, he had blond hair and a muscled build. Like Chris, he was a Dominant.UnlikeChris, Jackson didn’t deny his nature. Anger started forming in her again.
“What’s wrong?” Jackson’s words broke into her thoughts.
Kate sighed. “Since nobody is playing, I guess we can sit.” They went to the comfortable red couch, her favorite quiet spot in the club she used routinely for aftercare. Jackson leaned back and studied her. Kate crossed her legs, uncrossed them, and sighed. “I went home with Chris after the weddings.”
“Okay.”
Okay?Didn’t he see the problem?
“We’re both dominant,” she stated.
“Yes, you are.”
His easy acceptance amazed her. First Paula, now Jim. Nobody seemed to get how big a deal this was.
“It was the best night of my life,” Kate confessed. Jackson made an encouraging sound, and she continued. “He’s a player, a womanizer.”
The crease between Jackson’s eyebrows had deepened at the last few sentences, but now his face brightened. “You’re in love with him!”
The pain in her throat reached her lungs as she tried notto cry. “I’ve been in lust with the man since the first time I laid eyes on him. First, we were just friends, but I’ve been falling for him more every time we spoke, or I watched him with a sub. Last weekend was the proverbial nail in my coffin. He was perfect in almost every way. It’s more than lust now. It’s love.”
“Almost?”
“Yes.” Blood drummed in her ears as anger rose again, and she explained the real problem to Jim, “Hefakedsubmitting to me.”
Before Jackson could reply, someone growled out behind them. “I. Did. Not. Fake. Anything!”
Kate pressed her lips together and scowled. Slowly, she turned her head around. “You’re a Dom,” she practically spat at the looming figure behind them.
“Apparently not with you,” Chris threw back.
“How is that even possible?” she snarled. “You’ve never shown a tendency to switch before!”
“Guys.” Jackson made the universal sign of surrender, but before he could continue, Scott stepped between Chris and Kate.
“Jim, man the bar, will you?” Without waiting for an answer, Scott directed his focus to Chris and Kate. “You two come with me. This is not something you discuss where everyone can hear.” Scott marched away from the main room, and Chris and Kate followed him like two lost puppies.
Chris’s stomach hardened as anger boiled inside. Something in his chest tightened as Scott led them into the club’s dining room. No one was around, and Scott gesturedtoward the closest table.
“Want to share what that was about?” Scott inquired quietly.
Chris closed his eyes. His jaw ached from clenching his teeth. He replayed the night of the wedding repeatedly. It had been wonderful and exhilarating, but the cold shoulder he’d received the next morning had ruined it.
“We had a one-night stand. It was nice.” Kate evidently didn’t have the same problem.
