Page 3 of Friends with Benefits (Club Risqué)

Micah's fingers stilled for a moment and Trinity turned her head and looked back at him, but he didn't look at all upset, just contemplative.

"I did consider it, believe it or not, but I knew there was a high probability that she'd end up making an emotional attachment to any Dom she was paired with for a significant amount of time, and I wouldn't be able to give her what she needed. It wouldn't have been fair to either of us."

"God forbid that any sub might fall in love with her Dom," Trinity said cynically, but Micah didn't deserve that criticism. He was no more detached than she was, herself. And he'd done the right thing by Charlotte, by not giving her false hope where none existed.

Every woman should be so lucky!

And that thought was beneath her. Whatever blame she might lay at the feet of her ex, being upfront about his intentions certainly wasn't one of them… but that was a road she certainly didn't want to go down.

She gave herself a mental shake, and hurried on. If Micah had picked up on her barb, then he didn't call her on it.

"So, you think Jake is the right match?" Trinity asked dubiously. She had known both the Blackwood cousins since the day she’d walked into the original, south coast Club Risqué to book herself onto one of their submissive training courses.

She got on well with Jake, and had even scened with him on the odd occasion. But, while it was no secret that Jake was ready to settle down, his relationships always seemed to crash and burn because of the giant chip he carried on his shoulder, despite his gregarious character.

"They have history," Micah revealed. "And Charlotte is already in love with him."

Trinity raised her eyebrows in surprise and tipped her head back to look at Micah where he towered above her. "Really?" she squeaked in surprise. "Well, I never saw that coming!"

Micah gave a boyish grin and leaned down to lay a quick peck on the end of her nose.

"Take my word for it, sprite. If Jake's jealousy, when he discovered I was Charlotte's training Dom, is anything to go by, then theirs will be the next wedding bells we'll hear.”

Trinity shook her head in disbelief and climbed out of her chair. Micah's arms immediately came around her and he nuzzled his lips into her neck. "So, how about arranging to meet up sometime soon?" he queried again.

Trinity turned in his arms and pushed against his broad chest, so she could see his face. "Do I detect a hint of desperation there, Sir?” she asked, raising a single eyebrow. "I assumed you and Cha-cha had been tearing up the sheets."

She and Micah shared a unique, and very private, understanding where they each agreed to scratch an itch every once in a while. But never anything fixed or consistent.

Trinity couldn't cope with anything too specific, and that wasn't what Micah wanted, either. They didn't even play together within the confines of the club. Theirs was just a mutual pressure release arrangement that absolutely nobody was aware of, and they were both happy to keep it that way.

He spun her back around and bit into the fleshy part of her neck where it met her shoulder. "No intercourse clause." Micah's laughter rumbled against Trinity's back. "Remind you of anyone?"

Trinity tipped her head to one side, closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying Micah's carefree humour.

She enjoyed his company and appreciated his good looks. In him, she found a kindred spirit. It was as if both of their subconsciouses had recognised each other from the first time they'd met. As such, they enjoyed a healthy, but intermittent - and definitely no strings - sexual relationship, which suited both of their needs completely. Because, as Micah was so quick to tease her about, her own limit list also included intercourse as a soft limit, and by negotiation only.

That wasn't to say they couldn't please each other, because that was far from true.

Micah was a skilled and attentive lover, and he could reach just far enough inside her psyche to hone into the things that made her feel not only needed, but also appreciated.

There was simply no spark between them at all. Their time together was really quite clinical and unemotional.

They brought each other pleasure, and then they walked away.

It was an odd arrangement, and maybe not one a lot of people would understand, but it worked perfectly for them. There was no drama or jealousy when either of them took on a client or a trainee, which happened from time to time as part of their job description. There was simply a mutual appreciation when they were together, and acceptance when they were not. It gave each of them exactly what they needed without the danger of attachment and that was a significant attraction. Sadly, maybe the biggest one they shared.

The truth was, for both of them, sometimes there was just a straightforward physical need for a little human contact and connection. That they could find those things with each other, safely and satisfactorily, without the necessity of trawling for hook-ups or dodging bullets if things went wrong, was a real bonus.

Trinity peeled Micah's roving fingers away from where they spread across her upper midriff and lower abdomen. There was a time and a place, after all. And in her office with the door unlocked was not it.

"Fine," she agreed, patting his forearm. "When are you free next?"

Since they both worked on each other's day off, there was never an evening when they were both off together, unless it was one of the nights the club was closed, and that was less and less often now training classes were in full swing.

"Sunday," Micah growled, nibbling on her ear regardless of her attempts to pull away. "And stop trying to avoid me or I'll put you over my knee right now."

Trinity just laughed outright. "That no intercourse clause in your trainee sub's contract really must be putting a strain on you," she teased.

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