“I’m sorry.” She leaned against the wall, her chin to her chest, hugging herself. She looked awfully little to me. “I didn’t mean to panic like that.”
“You want to tell me why?” I stood across from her, giving her some space. “Why are you so hell bent on denying your true self? I mean, clearly, in this environment, we are well aware of what being a little is all about.”
“I can’t do my job and be a little.” She whispered, her chin still pressed to her chest. She hid her face.
“From what you’ve told me, your little doesn’t typically spontaneously burst into your consciousness.”
“I’ve never been in an environment like this.” She sighed. “I don’t know why it’s happening now.”
“Kylie, look at me.”
She gave her head a little shake.
“Kylie.”
She dropped her hands and peeked up at me. Tears welled in her eyes, yet a glimmer of hope remained. They were so bright and mesmerizing.
“I accept you may be unsure in this new environment, and we are kind of throwing you headfirst into a little’s fantasy, but one thing I hope you’ve discovered about me,” I stepped closer to her. “I would never put Tinley and Rayna in a dangerous position, and I chose you to look after them.”
“But what if–-”
“No what ifs.” I lifted her chin. “I trust you to do your job. And remember, you’re not alone. You always have back up.”
“And what if something happens?”
“Then something happens, and we deal with it.” Kyler’s words rang in my head. It continued to bug me. I wasn't therewhen Rayna and Tinley needed me the most, but I was learning to let go. I couldn’t be on duty twenty-four seven, and no one expected me to be. “Things are going to happen. It’s life. And until Kyler buys that little island off the coast of South America and orders everyone he loves there and we close ourselves off from the world in a perfect isolated utopia, we just have to deal with life as it comes.”
“Is he really going to do that?” A sudden, sharp interest lit her eyes. Probably shouldn’t have given her that ammunition to fuel her fears about the Grants. Of course he wasn’t thinking like that, at least I didn’t think so.
“No, I just mean we can’t always control our environment, so we deal with it the best way we know how.” I patted her on the shoulder. “You are going to be fine.”
“Thank you.”
“But I also think you should get to know your little a bit when you can. You might understand her better if you let her have some time out in the sunshine.”
“Would you. . .” her voice trailed off and her eyes grew wide. “Never mind.”
“What were you going to ask?”
She shook her head widely. Her blond curls danced around her head. “We should get back to the group.” She slid to her left, careful not to touch me, and hurried across the floor to catch up with the others. Was she about to ask for my help with her little?
The thought lingered in my mind and made my heart ache, and my pants became unbelievably tight.
Keep it together, Patrick.
I caught up with the group inside the theater. The program director showed us the seating and talked about the production. I spotted Kylie near Martin, taking notes. They pointed out a section where they would put Kyler, Josh, Tinley, and Rayna andconfirmed where Kylie would sit. I imagined this would be the most secure screening of the show to date.
We completed the walk-through and then all collectively walked to the area where the buses would shuttle the group back to the Quad. I watched from a distance while Kylie joked around with the other staff. She’d introduced herself to the two other female guards at her first team meeting, and they hit it off. They both worked full-time at Quad IV and were among the favorites of the staff there, especially the house submissive.
Kylie stopped before entering the bus. Her eyes searched but couldn’t find me. I liked the idea of her looking for me. Seeking my approval. It was doing wonders for my ego and bringing up feelings I had pushed down a long time ago. I sat in my car and waited until the bus pulled away before pulling off. On the street, the bus turned left. I turned right, needing some distance.
Everyone under my watch was secure. Las Vegas had plenty of BDSM clubs for play, only one matched the level of Quad IV. I pulled into the private parking garage and punched my code into the access gate keypad. The entrance was an undecorated steel door with a keypad and a thumbprint scanner. Kyler and Josh and I had visited, mainly to scope out the competition, but we ended up joining and frequenting the place before Quad IV was constructed.
“Mr. Carmichael.” A young man stood at the end of a short, dark hallway in front of a set of glass double doors. He wore a black suit with a dark shirt and a leather tie. His blond hair pulled back and secured in a ponytail. “It’s been a long time.” He tapped at his screen.
“Hi, yeah, it’s been a while.” While we were no longer dues-paying members, we offered mutual reciprocity with certain VIP members of each club, and that included Josh, Kyler, Chandler, and me. Most of us followed a simple rule: don’t scene where you sleep. Chandler broke that rule under the guise of training.As the unofficial Master of Quad IV, he didn’t need to maintain a professional distance like the rest of us.
“Is there a particular scene or sub you’d like me to assist in setting up for you?” He tapped again. “We have two house subs who are quite versed in age play. I can send them over to say hello.”
