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My skin itched behind my mask as I longed to take it off and go to sleep next to Nora, but evidently the world didn’t give a shit about what I wanted.
It was only midnight, early for Club Wicked, yet I stifled a yawn as I opened the door to reveal a Ms. Tawny, aka Shyla, in her black latex catsuit. She was a stunning woman, very accomplished and about to take the world by storm, but she had also been a huge pain in my ass in the past. Despite this, I would still consider her a friend. I can’t say we knew each other well, but the trouble I’d had with her had been when she’d stepped in and done securities job at Club Wicked instead of contacting security so we could handle the situation. She was fearless, and someday that was going to get her in trouble.
Giving me a small smile, she said, “Hey, Master Skyler, I’m here to pick up Isabella. Security said she fell asleep on you. Did you guys do an intense scene or something?”
Extending my arm into my office, I reminded myself that I needed to be nice to Shyla. She was Nora’s best friend and her opinion of me could make my task of winning Nora’s heart much easier if I had her on my side. Plus, she had rescued Nora from her abusive ex and his schemes, so that was bonus points on her side.
Still, I wanted to kick her out of my office and shut the door in her face because I knew she was there to take away Nora from me.
“We did do a scene, but I don’t think it was intense.” I raised my hand to my lips. “She’s sleeping.”
“So, no crying? Just sleeping?”
“No, no crying.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, Shyla glanced around the room. “Where is she?”
I motioned Shyla over and opened the door to my suite just long enough for her to see a snoring Nora before closing it again.
Shyla’s tight jaw softened, and she said, “You’re a miracle worker. I’ve been so worried all night that this was a mistake. I mean, I hid it from Nora, because I wanted her to have a good time, but I still worried that she’d have an episode.”
Out of all her potential responses, it wasn’t one I had imagined. “What do you mean?”
Taking a seat in the worn green leather and mahogany chair that had been there when I took over the space, Shyla looked over at me as she touched her mask. “Mind if I take this off?”
“No, not at all. In fact, let me join you.”
We both sighed once our masks were finally off. They weren’t uncomfortable, but having anything on your face for hours at a time got annoying. I rubbed my forehead while Shyla massaged her cheeks.
“So much better,” she sighed with a tired expression. “Okay, so I don’t feel like I’m breaking the friend code when I tell you that, the last few times she tried to do a scene, Nora ended up safe wording out and crying for two days afterward. Her Tops didn’t do anything wrong, she was just still so twisted up from the way the douche screwed with her head that she triggered. She said it was like her ex was haunting her.”
Stunned, I shook my head as I considered her words. “And you didn’t think to share that with me before I did a scene with her?”
Shrugging, Shyla said, “No, I trusted you, and those two episodes happened back when she was in Oklahoma. Being out here has made a world of difference. Plus, she was with you, and I’d figured you’d been doing BDSM long enough to know about aftercare. Besides, you already liked her before either of you knew the other was into kink. If that’s not fate, I don’t know what is.”
“While I’m flattered, and fate aside, that’s a big risk to take with Nora’s mental health. You should have told me.”
Her dark brows drew down over her light amber eyes as she said in a firm voice, “That is not my story to tell.”
I gripped the arms of the leather chair for a moment before willing myself to relax. “While I appreciate your loyalty, she could have gotten hurt tonight. I could have hurt her, unknowingly, and that would have killed me. Come on, Shyla. You’re a better Top and bottom than this—you play both sides of the card, so you know how badly it could have gone. You know what it feels like when you unintentionally hurt a sub or trip some hidden trigger in their psyche. You should have told me, and you should have given me a little more time to gain Nora’s trust before you shoved her into a scene with me.”
