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“Yes, Sir,” she agreed, feeling calmer. “The thing is, we’re moving so fast. I’m… I’m not sure I want to live in London,” she blurted, determined just to get it out there.
As his face fell, she rushed on, “Don’t get me wrong. I totally want to be with you, Sir, wherever that is. I want to serve you as your slave and lover and partner. But I just can’t see myself back at the hair salon or helping Ellis down at the London club. It doesn’t have the same intimacy and sense of family we have back home. I miss New York. I miss my friends.”
She realized she was twisting her Masters Club slave ring around and around on her finger as she spoke, and she dropped her hand. “I know you’ve got your big, important job to do here, and it’s not fair of me to expect you to just drop everything and leave the country but, well”—she shrugged helplessly—“I don’t know what to do.”
She paused, feeling mildly ridiculous at speaking in such a sweeping, long-term way. They’d been together barely more than a week, for heaven’s sake.
“Geez, would you listen to me,” she said with a small, self-conscious laugh. She looked out the window as she gathered her thoughts. “We’re still so new. I know I need to give this a chance. Maybe I’ll adapt. I was thinking, you know, of maybe going to community college in New York. Mistress Dominique says I have a real knack with numbers, and I enjoy it. Perhaps there’s somewhere here in London I could attend. Maybe even eventually get an accounting degree.” She laughed again. “I know, nuts, right? I’ve been out of school for fourteen years. Can I really go from hairdresser to accountant? Not bloody likely.”
She looked back at Master Jack, startled to see that he was grinning at her.
“What?” she demanded. “What’s funny?”
“You. Me. All of this. First of all, I can absolutely imagine you back in school. You’re bright and driven. There are no limits to what you can do, except those you impose on yourself. And I’m realizing the same applies to me. I haven’t thought about work once since I turned off the damn phone. I have several dozen unread email messages and I have zero desire to find out what’s so urgent.”
He lifted himself on his elbow. “This is almost embarrassing to admit, but I’ve made a shitload of money doing what I do. It’s obscene what investment bankers can make, while most folks barely get by. I’ve thought for a while now that I ought to do more with that money than just invest and spend it. I should give something back, maybe with a charitable foundation of some kind.”
His expression became more animated.“Maybe we could do that together—come up with worthy causes we want to support, and set about figuring out how to make it happen. Maybe along with an accountancy degree, you could study nonprofit management.”
“Wow,” Cleo enthused, forgetting her own dilemma for the moment. “That would be brilliant. I already have a million ideas.” Then she frowned. “So,” she said slowly. “You’re thinking maybe I go to school while you’re at work?”
“No,” Master Jack said, his mouth lifting in a half smile. “I’m suggesting I quit my job and move back to New York with you.”
At Cleo’s shocked expression, he raised a hand. “Don’t worry. Don’t think this is a snap decision in the heat of the moment. I’ve actually been thinking about it for a long time, even if you weren’t in the picture.” He shrugged. “To tell you the truth, while I could probably transfer back to the New York office, the work itself no longer compels me, and there’s really nothing else keeping me here.
“As far as you and I go,” he continued, “we take things there one step at a time. For now, you can keep doing what you love at the club—helping the subs settle in and keeping the books for Mistress Dominique. You could go to school on a part time basis to start, to see if that’s what you want to do. I can hire the right people to help me figure out this foundation thing, and when you’re ready, you could sign on as well, in whatever capacity makes sense.”
“Whoa,” Cleo breathed, gobsmacked at Master Jack’s sweeping vision, and her part in it. She’d never been with a guy, especially a Dom, who was so open and honest in his communication. Everything about this felt right. The pieces were falling neatly in place, as if the life she was finally meant to live had arrived at last.
“Really?” she blurted, not hiding her delight.
Master Jack laughed. “Really. But some changes will need to be made first.”
Cleo was instantly back on her guard, though she was too happy and excited to be truly wary. “Such as?”
