Page 62 of Lace 'em Up

So loose clothes, my comfiest bras, and more makeup than I normally wear.

And no heels.

Mostly because King had stolen them and stashed them somewhere…

And honestly?

I didn’t want to wear them right now anyway.

I dab one more spot, ensuring the bruises are completely covered no matter the lighting, and then add some blush, liner, and mascara before calling it good. I don’t know if Stella’s going to be downstairs, but I want to be presentable if she is.

“That’s as good as it’s going to get,” I murmur, capping the mascara and moving from the room.

I tug the blankets up in a halfhearted attempt at making the bed, knowing instinctively that King won’t care if it’s perfect, if the comforter isn’t evenly folded over, the pillows straight, not a wrinkle in sight.

He doesn’t sweat stuff like this.

Hell, he’d probably just make a note to add it to one of his lists in his Life Planner.

?? Give Rory orgasms.

?? Leave her in a pleasure-hazed slumber.

?? Make bed when she manages to crawl her ass downstairs.

Check. Check. Check.

I grin, smooth out a particularly bad wrinkle in the comforter, then go downstairs to find Zeus.

The crate in the bedroom is empty, but I know that King has a few gates up on the first floor, making a safe space for Zeus without giving the mischievous fluff ball full reign of the house. I’m not sure, though, if he had time to walk the pup.

What with my multiple orgasms and all.

My grin widens and I hurry down the stairs.

He’s a good pup, but hours alone in the house is still a recipe for disaster…or at least, for the shoes on the shoe rack.

But when I turn the corner, I see that my walking services aren’t required.

Zeus—still wearing his harness, though his leash is folded on the counter—is sitting like a little angel next to Stella, who’s bent over a cutting board full of green apples.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Stella says glancing up from the apple she’s peeling.

Using a knife, the skin coiled up in one long spiral. Her eyes meet mine, but the knife doesn’t stop.

And she doesn’t cut off her finger either.

Just keeps peeling that apple.

“Hi,” I say, feeling more than a little awkward.

“Woof!” Zeus says, springing up and sprinting toward me, his little fluffy booty shaking.

“Hey, baby,” I croon, crouching down and scratching him exactly as I’ve discovered he likes—just behind his adorably large ears and massaging upward…along with plenty of butt scratches.

He melts under my touch, reminding me of how effectively King had made me melt not all that long ago.

When I straighten after giving him a good long rubdown, I see that Stella’s watching me, her eyes gentle and her mouth quirked.

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