Page 35 of Second Chances

She hums a contented sound.

“I like it there.”

I can’t help but laugh.

“Do you feel ok?” I inquire, concern licking the edges of my words.

“More than fine. Thank you.” She leans up and presses a kiss to my lips. “Can we rest a bit, and then I think I need to take you home to fuck your brains out for giving me that experience.”

“You won’t find me arguing with that.” I bring her closer into my arms, and we sit in silence. Her breathing eventually evens out, and I know she’s fallen asleep.

Grayson appears in my view and waits. I motion for him to come closer, knowing he’ll stay away if I don’t invite him to approach out of respect for the aftercare process.

“How is she?” is his first question.

“Sleeping. Took a little bit out of her.”

“I’m not surprised. I hear it was a really good scene.”

I stroke the top of Elena’s head. Being here now with her feels so right. I’m contented for the first time in my chaotic life.

“Thank you for doing that tonight. Sophie’s struggling a bit with the hormones. She’s happier now.”

“No, my sister is just a drama queen who likes to get spanked.” I shudder at that thought as the words leave my mouth.

“That too.” Grayson chuckles. “I shouldn’t really have asked you given you’re still technically under training, but I think tonight was probably your big test. There’s nothing more I can teach you about this lifestyle, Ryan. You’re as much of a master as you’ll ever be and a damn good one at that. I’ve a feeling you’ve found your submissive as well.” He nods toward Elena, who’s still sleeping. “I wasn’t sure about you at first, after everything that happened, but you’ve grown into a man I respect a great deal. You’ve got your family’s best interests at heart. Now you’ve found the true man within yourself that you were always supposed to be, I hope you can finally leave the past behind. Embrace the future with the Norths and Elena because none of us would be without you now.” Grayson claps a hand against my back and disappears back into the club. I’m shocked at his words, but they feel good. He’s right. I’m where I need to be in my life now. All the suffering, lies, and revenge is behind me. I’ve found a bright future full of the promise of love with the woman fast asleep in my arms.

Chapter Fifteen

Elena

“So I heard about last night with Ryan. Grayson said it was H.O.T. You hit subspace?” Amy sits next to me in the car being driven by Sonia. Marie Ashworth, another friend of theirs and the wife of James’ chief accountant, sits in the front passenger seat. We’re all out for a girly day of shopping and makeovers while their husbands watch the children. Sophie will be meeting us at the designer mall along with their other friends, Collette and Alexia, whom I’ve not been introduced to yet as they both live in America. I’ve been told I met Alexia briefly when in Las Vegas for James and Amy’s wedding. However, I don’t remember because I spent most of that day in tears of happiness and suffering with jet lag, and after two glasses of wine during the reception, I passed out.

I want to ignore Amy’s comment, but I know that every woman in this car is a submissive with a dominant man beside them in their day-to-day life—I’ve got no choice but to answer. They won’t let it drop.

“Yes, I hit subspace.”

“A good whipping will always do that to you,” Sonia pipes up from behind the wheel. She’s with Matthew Carter, and the two of them love nothing more than a session with a St. Andrew’s Cross and the cat-o’-nine-tails. I’m not sure I’ll ever be hard core with whips, though—the thought of them makes me shudder.

“I’m not sure it was a good whipping by your standards, but I liked it. Ryan was really good at putting me at ease with the crowd. They were the scariest part. I mean, it’s pretty intimate and having people watching us…

“Not an exhibitionist then?” Maria turns her head to smile at me. “Callum can’t get enough of showing me off since I had the baby. He wants everyone to see I’ve still got a perfect body, according to him.”

“Don’t you feel funny with them seeing all your bits?” I wrinkle my nose up at the thought.

All three of the other ladies in the car laugh.

“Let me ask you something?” Amy asks, and I nod.

“Ok.”

“Last night exactly when were you worrying about exposing your pussy to the audience?”

“When I got up there on the stage.”

“Right, and when Ryan put the blindfold on you and started the scene, were you worried then?”

I pause and think before I answer.

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