Page 7 of Extraction Play

The huge rainbow flag waving in front of Whipped seemed to invite her over. Ever since she’d come out to her parents, hell, ever since she’d publicly come out about being bi, she’d grown more appreciative of these signs and spaces. After her parents rejected her and Micah, how they pretty much refused to associate with either of them anymore—yeah, to say she drifted put it mildly.

Fuck them very much too.

The glass windows gave an enticing glimpse of the inside of the coffee shop, with the red and black furniture and stark white walls, and the the sign with the coffee cup and a whip made it clear what Whipped was about. Eva tugged open the door, the enticing aroma of coffee greeting her. She’d had her first cup this morning already and, along with it, the memory of Pixie calling her Mistress. Unf.

Micah stood behind the espresso machine, his hazel eyes light and his smile genuine as he chatted away with a customer on the opposite side of the counter. Some of the tightness in her chest relaxed. She loved to see her brother like this—so open, so different from their upbringing, where forced smiles and schooled expressions had been the norm. At home, there had been only so much relaxing they could do, even in the privacy of their rooms. Where Mom and Dad had always been trying to shoehorn Micah into a masc and het role he’d never fit into, Mom had spent Eva’s entire childhood nitpicking her into the ground.

Not ladylike enough.

Too outspoken and blunt.

The shape of a paper bag.

Those criticisms had stacked over the years, but when she’d moved to Reno, far away enough from their hometown in Genoa, Eva had peeled away the damage, layer by layer.

As she approached the counter, she settled her mask into place, years of experience in action. No need to bring Micah down with her main issue—getting ditched by not only her boyfriend of five years but their girlfriend as well.

He swung his attention to her at once, his bright expression not faltering. Apparently, he’d had a great night with Parker after they’d left. “You here for coffee or to hang?”

“A mix of both, I guess,” Eva said, the itch under her skin intensifying at her aimlessness. She wasn’t sure what she would face when she returned home, and though Jack had promised to sell her the house, that he and Sienna were going to move in together elsewhere, she wouldn’t trust anything until it was in writing. She leaned against the coffee counter, scanning over the red leather couches, black two-seater tables, and the bright, clean environment. Pure comfort.

“Cappuccino or an espresso sort of morning?”

She relaxed a bit further. Her brother remembered her preferences—cappuccino or black coffee for a ruminate and stay a while or espresso for a quick chat and go.

“Cappuccino. I’ve got some grilling to do over the new boyfriend.”

Micah got to work, steaming the milk and pulling the shots. A grin snuck to his face, even though he wrestled with it.

“No need to grill,” someone said from her right. “Parker’s one of the best people I know.”

Eva recognized the woman from the scenes last night. From her slow, deliberate strides to the lift of her chin, she oozed dominance. While the woman was hot from an objective perspective—big masc energy, short black hair, intense, captivating features—she didn’t pingEva’s radar. Mostly because Eva wasn’t attracted to other dominants. That truth had come as a hard realization when she’d ventured into kink with Jack. Sienna had been a stunner: blonde, lithe, and a perfect submissive between them. But then Eva and Jack had grown less and less interested in each other.

Until finally, he and Sienna had decided she wasn’t a necessary part of the relationship.

“Meg.” The woman thrust a hand out at Eva.

Eva shook it firmly, the opposite of how her mother had instructed. “Eva. Micah’s sister.”

“Ah, so we meet at last,” Meg said, her dark eyes flashing with amusement. “He mentioned you were in town. Did you check out the club night yesterday?”

Eva blinked, a bit startled by all the directness and the fact that Micah had mentioned her. They’d always been close, but in their own prickly way, since both had mile-high guards up. “For a spell.” She didn’t offer more.

Eva stood her ground under Meg’s laser-focused gaze, refusing to squirm.

Micah passed her the cappuccino, and she gratefully snagged the cup.

“I’m taking a quick break,” Meg said. “Want to join me?”

“Uh-oh, you’re in trouble now,” Micah teased.

“I’m pretty sure that’s your job,” Eva shot back.

“I can show you around the dungeon,” Meg said, a knowing glint in her eyes. Well, damn. If one thing could suck her in, that would be it. The moment her brother mentioned he worked in a kink café, she’d been curious about their dungeon setup. Hell, she’d been curious about everything involving the place, and excitement trickled through her veins.

“Sold.” Eva held up her cappuccino. “Is it okay if I bring this with me?”

“Absolutely.” Meg gestured to the stairs.

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