I adjusted my cock and wrote a quick reply to James.
Now we’re talking progress. Good. But tomorrow at the event, you’re gonna read this novella out loud for us.
I showed it to Nate, and he nodded once in approval.
Send.
“May I just…?” He gestured at the phone, so I handed it over. “I’d like to clarify something.”
Reese and Greer laughed at something, but it wasn’t enough to grab my attention. I heard “more chairs for the voyeurs” and tuned out again.
Instead, I read Nate’s text to James.
Hello, James. This is Nathan. We appreciate your honesty, and I just want to circle back to something you wrote in the beginning. You want to feel secure in our dynamic. This is something we obviously want as well, and we’d like to sit down with you at some point so we can discuss that in detail. If we blur the lines with a more fluid dynamic, it’s easy to ruin your humiliation fun with an offhanded compliment or affection. Ash and I are both big on affection and praise, and I can imagine that might hit you wrong if you’re looking to be degraded.
I nodded along as I read it. “Well put, baby.”
“…not my kinda music, if you know what I mean,” Colt was saying. “The masquerade bit is fun and all, but I’ll never be comfortable in a tux or listenin’ to club music.”
I wasn’t part of the conversation, but I had to throw in my, “Amen to that.”
I pocketed my phone.
Nathan smirked and rested an arm on top of my shoulder. “That’s when you downstairs people create your own party on the patio.”
Reese and Greer laughed, ’cause it was true.
“Downstairs people, huh?” KC chuckled. “You’ve been part of the downstairs crowd for a while now, Nate. I used to think the bondage group was a myth until you joined us after the fire.”
I smooched Nate’s cheek. “Now you’re one of us.”
“It’s nice seein’ more bridges between the groupings, though,” Reese said. “I understand they happen naturally, but…” He shrugged.
Nathan inclined his head. “I’ve been thinking about that too. Your social group is the only one representing multiple core kinks. The rest of us are fixated on one or two.”
“Because the founding members stick together, I reckon, and we’re pretty different,” Greer mused. “We’re also the ones organizing the community-wide events, so we have to be more open. But it’s damn easy to close yourself in, even for us.”
I scratched my jaw. “As a regular Joe member, I don’t have to worry about representing a bunch of different kinks, thank fuck.”
Colt snorted. “I’m one of the Founders, and I don’t give a shit either. I’m all for everyone being able to have a platform out here, but don’t getmeinvolved. I’ll stick to my crowd, thank you very much. Which now includes another rigger.”
Nate grinned. “Lucas mentioned that not too long ago, how you’re slowly retreating from the limelight.”
“What can I say, I’m gettin’ old and tired,” Colt laughed.
“Shut the fuck up, we’re about the same age,” I told him. “I ain’t old.”
Reese puffed out his chest. “I can’t believe I’m actually the youngest in this bunch.”
“What’re you gabbin’ about over there?” someone hollered. And that someone sounded an awful lot like Penelope.
We all looked back toward the carport, and sure enough, Penelope and Nora were trailing over.
“Forget what I said,” Reese muttered.
“Ha!” That was funny. He was no longer the youngest.
I met Nora’s impish grin and got ready to start apologizing. I mean, I’d already apologized in a text, but I still felt bad for the timing. I’d ditched her the day I’d taken off to hunt down Nate.
