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“Okay,” Laura said, her tone dubious. “If you say so.” She put her hands on her hips and cocked her head. “So. We going or what? I’m starving. I’m thinking sausage, mushroom, peppers and onions. Oh, and some of those yummy garlic knots Sal makes. And a pitcher of ice-cold beer. You in?”
Sophia chuckled, aware resistance was futile. Laura had that determined “I’m on a mission” look that brooked no refusal. Not to mention, pizza and a beer sounded pretty darn good at the moment, as she’d worked through lunch.
“Okay, you’ve sold me.” Sophia pushed back from the desk and picked up the security deposit bag. “We just need to swing by the bank on the way.”
A half hour later, they were seated at a small table in the tiny neighborhood restaurant, each with a mug of beer on the red-checkered tablecloth between them. “What’s the latest with the fire situation?”
“Nick’s still dealing with the insurance company. They haven’t yet ruled out arson, even though Nick says it’s pretty clear it was an electrical issue.”
“So, when do the two of you connect again? Sounds like your last date was awesome, at least while it lasted.”
Sophia had told Laura about Nick’s private club and had shared a broad overview of their hot scene, though she hadn’t spent too much time on the details, which would freak out her BDSM-lite dabbling friend.
Sophia shrugged. “No firm plans at the moment. We’ll probably reconnect soon. Maybe this coming weekend.” She shrugged again, feigning nonchalance. “I don’t know.”
Laura regarded her with a quizzical expression. “You sound kind of lukewarm about seeing him again. Is the bloom already off the rose?”
Sophia was saved from answering as the waitress arrived, carrying a huge pizza and a basket of garlic knots. The pizza looked fabulous and smelled wonderful. Sophia selected a piece and sprinkled it liberally with freshly grated parmesan and red pepper flakes. She added several buttery garlic knots to her plate and tucked in.
They ate and drank for a while in companionable silence. Then Laura, who would keep at something like a dog with a bone, said, “Back to Nick. I could have sworn you were falling in love with that guy. But now, I don’t know what’s going on. I just know you seemed down all week, even though you keep denying it.” She placed her hands flat on the table and leaned forward. “Level with me. Tell me what’s really going on in that head of yours. Are things cooling off between you?”
Sophia took a long pull on her beer as she thought about how to answer. This was Laura, after all—her best friend. She would just lay it out there—her endlessly looping conversation with herself—and see what Laura made of it.
“Here’s the thing,” she said. “I’m still completely obsessed with the guy. I think about him constantly. I get all shivery remembering our time together.” She hugged herself, her body tingling with the muscle memory of being held down, the latex anchoring her in place, never knowing where the next stroke of the cane might fall. The erotic pain had been perfectly juxtaposed by the relentless intensity of the vibrating toy at her sex. But the experience had been so much more powerful because of their emotional connection. It had added a whole other dimension to their scenes, one she had never experienced with any other Dom.
“It’s not just the sex,” she said aloud. “Or even his incredibly intuitive knowledge of what I need. We had fun just walking on the beach, or sharing a drink at night by a fire pit. He makes me laugh. He’s funny and kind. He cares about the people who work for him and provides benefits and health insurance to all his employees, even part-time ones. And the way he kisses…”
Sophia sighed, her fingers fluttering to her lips as she recalled their last, passionate kiss, their naked bodies pressed together. She would have melted to the floor if he hadn’t held her tight in his warm, strong embrace. And then the dashing way he’d scooped her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing, like something straight out of a romance novel.
Laura laughed, cutting into Sophia’s daydreams. “You should see your face. You’ve got it bad, girlfriend. You can spout all that friends with benefit nonsense till the cows come home, but any idiot can see it’s more than that.”
Sophia wrapped her arms protectively around her torso, her resolve stiffening. “No. This is the way it has to be. Friends with benefits is the only way to go with a man like Nick. There’s a reason he’s forty years old and still single. He’s married to his career. Everything else—everyone else—comes second by definition.”
Laura looked skeptical but Sophia barreled on. “As hot, sexy, intense and perfect for me as he is when we’re together, Nick Kincaid is not relationship material. And I have no intention of putting my heart out there to be smashed—not out of cruelty, but out of neglect, however benign and well-intentioned. I’m not some swooning teenager pining by the phone. I’ve got my own life to live. So, yeah—it’s all good. I’ll keep my options open. There are still plenty of Doms in the sea. It’s all for the best. I’m good with this.”
