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Shit. That could make things awkward if they break up, considering how volatile they are, it could happen. That said, probably couldn’t make it any more awkward than they already are. Every time we see him she snarls at him, or tells him to eat glass while he just smirks at her like he knows all her deep dark secrets.
She hands me the two armbands, and I pass one to Thor, who looks fucking delicious with his hair slicked back into a bun, and an open necked black shirt complementing his dress pants.
“Addison.” Archer’s voice has me turning to find him. “You look fantastic. You both do.” He nods at Paige. He hooks a thumb over his shoulder. “He’s in back.”
Her frown only deepens. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.” She tips her chin in challenge, clearly not leaning toward submission tonight. Or if she is, she’s going full brat. Like, a brattier brat than I’ve ever seen.
Archer sighs. “If you say so.” He turns his attention back to me with an eye roll that tells me Paige isn’t fooling anyone. Maybe she just got dressed up to tease Slade, that would absolutely be her jam. Make him see what he’s missing by not snatching her up.
Except from what I’ve seen, she’s the reluctant one. And I can’t for the life of me figure out why. She never answers when I ask. “Mind your business,” is as far as I get.
“I got the first merchandise samples for Sub Club.” Archer’s smile is wide. “The woman who runs the printing company, Felicity, brought them over this morning. She’s eager to help us get this line off the ground.”
“And Archer is eager to get heronthe ground.” Thor smirks as he takes a sip of his alcohol free beer.
Archer ignores the quip, but his ears turn pink. “She might be worth talking to about yourotherendeavor too.”
We’re all-in. Thor has bankrolled my project, but I’m getting splinters on my ass while trying to decide where to start, how to start, and what I need to do to make my dream become a reality. Determined not to make this fail, it feels like I might end up procrastinating the shit out of this until it’s too late.
I’m kind of stuck.
Not for long, I’m sure. Ella squealed so loudly this morning when Thor told her, that all the birds in the trees in the yard flew away in a mass exodus. She’ll want an update soon if I don’t get ahead of her and give her one. Which means I need to take a shit or get off the pot. That’s probably why he told her in the first place.
“Want to touch base tomorrow and see what you think?” Archer seems to be in the ‘keep pressure on her so she makes a decision and starts chasing her dreams’ camp too. He’s not taking his foot off the gas with this.
Nodding, I can’t fight the smile that spreads across my face. “Yes sir. I’d love to.”
Thor’s hand presses against my lower back like he’s claiming me at the honorific I bestow onto his friend. He knows it’s a respect thing, but he’s still asserting his presence, and I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t on my mind when I let the words tumble from my lips.
Archer smirks over my shoulder at my boyfriend.
“I have another couple of ideas from the girls, too. Branded wash cloths, and first aid kits, for example.” Thor hands me a drink, and I take a sip, enjoying the sharp explosion of citrus on my tongue.
He nods, eyes lighting up like he should have thought of those things himself. “Great ideas. An all-round Protocol care kit. I’m here for it. If I don’t see you downstairs, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay.” I always thought it would be weird, people you see fairly regularly witnessing you in various states of nakedness—but it’s not.
Most of Thor’s colleagues saw me in my underwear handcuffed to the St. Andrew’s cross in the main demo space, and none of them have made it weird. I’m also not ashamed. There’s something empowering standing in your underwear as a bunch of people witness you being turned on. Even for a bigger girl like myself.
To be fair, though, I don’t think there was a single person in the room who wasn’t turned on by Phoenix that night.
Paige follows Archer, Kenzie and Austin arrive a few minutes later, and once we’ve all finished a round of delicious mocktails, we head down the long staircase into the basement. Sterling is on the main stage tonight in the demo space. He’s got a woman kneeling at his feet as he strokes her hair. Her palms face up, resting on her thighs, and her gaze is on the floor.
I can’t imagine ever being so well disciplined, or so eager to kneel at a man’s feet, but the serenity on her face is something I envy. Would it turn off all the outside noise to just kneel and focus my attention on being submissive? Could be worth a shot. Would Thor be interested in having a more traditional submissive?
Sterling alternates between talking to the building crowd and telling the submissive at his feet how good she is, how patient and how proud of her he is. The shift in his tone from when he addresses a woman he at least respects, and at most adores, makes my heart flutter.
“You want to watch?” Thor’s voice is so close to my ear I jump at his words.
“No. It’s okay. I was thinking that the way he dotes on her, the way he caresses her face, her hair, speaks to her with such reverent tones... It’s...” Unable to find words, I press my hand to my chest.
He kisses my temple. “The lifestyle lands differently when you’re in love with the one you’re playing with, kitten.”
Tears prick my eyes as I turn to face him. “You really love me?” We’ve already kind of acknowledged that we’re falling in love. It seems like this shouldn’t be surprising or any kind of panicky for either of us. But I still can’t stop myself from asking.
Cradling my face, he gets real close. “If you have to ask then I haven’t done a particularly good job of showing you, have I?”
It’s as though no one else in the room exists. There’s just Thor, and me, and the L-word. I pause, staring into his blue eyes. While I’m falling for him, I can’t bring myself to say the words out loud yet.
