Page 29 of For the Night

Reese declared he wanted a nap, which sent Shay hurrying his way, and I heard something about River getting back soon. From where, I had no idea. I kinda wanted a nap too, but when I spotted Nora catching some sun by the pool, that notion flew out the window. The girl was topless, just chilling and chatting with Lane, and I didn’t need that image in my head when I went to bed. Last night was bad enough. My God, was it bad. I could still hear her in my memories, how she’d sounded when she’d whimpered, how she’d felt when she’d shaken and quivered…

Nope, I was going to assemble some fucking furniture until the party started in two hours.

Damn her and her perky tits.

When I reemerged a little before two o’clock, the property had a new atmosphere. More people had shown up, some had left, the pool was crowded, and River stepped out of their cabin, cranky as fuck because he wasn’t getting his hike.

“Reese signed up to be a DM, the dumbass,” he grumbled.

I adjusted my bra strap underneath my top as I headed for the deck. “You poor thing. Can’t believe you have a brother who’s so active in the community.”

He lifted his brows and took a drag from his smoke. “I know you’re mockin’ me, but I deserve sympathy for that shit.”

I laughed.

Before I headed inside, I tried to see if Nora was around, but I couldn’t spot her. It was both a blessing and a curse. I may not have gotten my nap, but I’d still indulged in too many daydreams while I’d wrestled my bedframe upstairs to my little loft. Then I’d been swept away in what-ifs as I’d gotten my kitchen nook ready. New mugs, new plates, new coffeemaker…

What if she’s great for me, and I let her slip through my fingers because I’m a jaded bitch?

What if I sign myself up for misery because I won’t even give her a chance?

Logically speaking, I knew I wasn’t thinking rationally. A few of my friends had pointed that out too. Avoiding commitment for the rest of my life…? Christ.

I sighed to myself and entered the nightclub area, that was thankfully well air-conditioned, where approximately thirty of our members had gathered. Several faces completely new to me. Some only visited once a month. Some not even that. Some were insanely active in our online community but had never set foot in this house.

The members in charge of this little party had prepared everything already. The stage was set up for those who wanted to try ceremonial poses, with Beau and Ivy helping out. Nathan had claimed a corner with a sawhorse and a wall that had hooks for restraints, and he had Gretchen assisting.

Down by the seating area, another three Tops and their assistants had prepared for members to try out clamps, needle play, and wax play. It explained Santiago’s interest in being here. He was an excellent wax player.

I bet he wanted to keep an eye on Nora too. I’d learned they were friends.

I found Reese, Dean, Colt, and a couple from the bondage community at the bar, busy attaching the DM patches. I’d helped Sierra’s Domme when they were new out here, before they’d found their home upstairs in the rope dojo. I barely saw them at events these days, and Nattie wasn’t here today. Just Sierra and a man I hadn’t met before.

“Hi, Mistress Penelope.” Sierra waved.

“Hey, sweetie. Where’s Nattie?” I accepted a patch from Colt and attached it to my top. Our regular gear followed. A folding knife, shears, and first aid, all neatly packed into a pouch that I attached with a clip at my hip.

“She’s at home, trying to get our last three kittens adopted,” she replied with a grin. It jogged a memory; I’d seen a post about their cat having kittens several weeks ago. “You don’t want a kitten, by any chance?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Afraid not. My life’s too much of a mess. I—” But Ash! Ash was just like me; we loved both cats and dogs. Unlike me, he had a home and had actually been talking about adopting a cat. “You know what, can you ask Nattie to set one aside? I have a friend’s birthday coming up. He’s amazing with animals.”

I was willing to break the cardinal rule of never giving a pet as a present, only because I knew Ash. He’d be thrilled.

Before Sierra could respond, someone took the stage and asked for everyone’s attention. That someone was Nathan, and it didn’t take a genius to see he was tired. Beyond the “I didn’t sleep well last night” kind of tired.

“Nice to see so many of you here,” he said into the microphone. “Before Beau takes over, I just wanna say that—given the turnout—please respect the lines, don’t interrupt an ongoing scene, and if you have any questions, ask one of the DMs, not the members who are hosting the stations, unless it’s your turn. Thank you.” He handed the mic over to Beau and stepped down.

Hmm. Nathan had never been what I’d call overly social, but he was still incredibly kind and always took his time to help out. Now, though, it felt like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

He must know Ash was back in the community, right? They still saw each other every week when they drove their kids from one house to the other.

They reminded me a lot of Colt and Lucas, in how one was very outgoing and boisterous, and the other was happy to be dragged along. However, having observed Nathan here and there, I got the feeling he wasn’t as lenient as Lucas could be with Colt. Lucas had patience for days. Nathan’s assertiveness was quiet but, nevertheless, always present.

As Beau presented the event and brought up the rules and whatnot, I had Colt on one side and Sierra on the other.

“Who the fuck wears leather pants in this heat?” Colt asked quietly.

I scrunched my nose and peered up at him. He just cocked a brow at me.

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