Page 76 of The Masquerade: Room 2

“She questioned my motives for letting her fly solo in the OR. I would never jeopardize a patient’s life for pussy. How shallow does she think I am?”

“Why did you choose her?”

“Because she’s the best. Her hands are instruments, Dal. No other resident even comes close to her skill level. She has natural talent and a work ethic far beyond her peers.”

“Then, why do you care what anyone else says about it? You know you did it for the right reason.”

“I don’t give a shit about anyone else in the hospital, but Freya’s opinion matters to me. If she can’t trust my judgment at work when lives are on the line, then how can she trust me in the playroom?”

“Why is this even an issue? It’s a three-month contract.”

“We have a six-month agreement.”

“Hold the fucking phone,” he exclaims before slinging back the rest of his drink. “You’re falling for this woman.”

He says what I’ve been thinking for weeks. If I’m honest, I started falling for Freya the night of the masquerade ball. “There’s just something about her. It’s not just her submission I crave. She’s beautiful, but I’m attracted to more than her body. She’s smart and sweet, and fuck me, she’s a natural submissive. I’ve never wanted to keep a submissive until now.”

“Then tell her.”

“She spooks easily. Dalton, if I tell you something, it goes no further. Not even Flex.”

“Of course.”

I take a deep breath. “She was a virgin when we met.”

Dalton’s face reflects my reaction the night I found out I’d just deflowered Freya.

“What were you thinking?”

“I didn’t know. I only found out after I tied her to the cross, called her a slut, and hammered her into submission. It wasn’t until I pulled out with blood all over me that I realized.”

“Fuck,” he mumbles, rubbing his hand over the scruff of his jaw. “That’s a trust issue, Pierce.”

“I know. With anyone else, I’d send them packing for an omission of such epic proportion. Yet, I find myself so territorial over her. I fucking love that she’s only been with me. Is that archaic?”

“Yeah, but we all feel that way. I can’t tell you how much I hate that my wife slept with other guys in the fifteen years we were apart. It’s irrational, but we were each other’s first. We had the opportunity to be the only one for each other, and circumstances took that away. I get it, bro.”

“I feel like such a dick for thinking it. I get her, innocent and begging for more. What do I have to offer? A string of hookups and trainee subs… too many to count. I’d be ashamed to share my body count with her. The fact that I don’t know the exact number just enforces how inadequate I am when it comes to her. She deserves so much better.”

“Let me enlighten you, Pierce. My wife could definitely do better, but I’m a selfish man, and I need her more than my next breath. The way I see it, a man worthy of her could never satisfy her desires. I’m a lucky son of a bitch, and I will strive every goddamn day of my life to become a better man. To be worthy of her. If you have genuine feelings for Freya, then do what needs to be done. Earn your worth.”

If I hadn’t seen this happen before, I’d run with it, but there’s a part of me—a niggling dread—that knows this could all be fake. Not that she’s lying to me, but that her body is ruling her head right now. “You know as well as I do that subs in training can believe they’re ‘in love.’ It’s a rush when you enter the lifestyle. I’m the guy teaching her how to wring every drop of pleasure from her body in ways she never imagined. If I fall in love with her, she could get to the end of our contract and walk into another Dom’s arms after she realizes I’m not the shiny forever guy.”

“You’re in denial, bro. You don’t have an option anymore. It’s not ‘if you fall in love with her.’ You’re already there. Fuck the shiny dudes. We’re dark, and that only makes our choice to love and trust a woman more impressive. Shiny won’t raze the world to the ground for the woman they love. They won’t push them to explore how fucking amazing pain and pleasure can be when wielded properly. Shiny is boring as fuck. You love her. Go tell her that and let the chips fall where they may.”

That sounds terrifying. “And if she walks away?”

“Then she wasn’t yours to begin with.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.” He slaps me on the back. “Manning up sucks, but you might get the woman of your dreams. I’d say it’s worth the risk.”

I contemplate his advice for a moment. “Would you have walked away from Nad if she didn’t feel the same?”

A wicked grin creeps at the corner of his lips. “That’s the beauty of being the dark guy. Defeat isn’t a word we accept. If Naddie had tried to walk away, I’d have done whatever it took to make her mine. I made my peace with that at the very beginning. Walking away was never an option. So, ask yourself the question… would you walk away?”

“No.” It’s that easy and that complicated.

---