Page 65 of At Her Will

Laci chuckled and continued on her way, letting Vera do the same.

“I wanted to touch base before you head out,” Ros said when Vera reached her. “Everything good?”

“He’s spun up, but his head space is getting back where it needs to be. I’ll keep in contact with him over the next couple of days just to be sure of it.”

Ros lifted a hand to study her manicure. She liked wearing her nails longer, just as Vera did, even though Skye rolled her eyes at the extra key strikes or wonky touch screens that happened because of the dual contact between fingertip and fingernail.

“You make things harder on yourselves than needed,” she’d told them, using her digital disapproving teacher voice. But she hadn’t argued with Ros’s response.

“Trim my nails so I can do texts and email? Or keep them long so that when I have Lawrence tied to my bed, I can leave deeper marks on his gorgeous back, ass and thighs. Let me think about that for half a second…”

Ros examining her nails now was calculated, her way of saying she was waiting for Vera to answer the question she’d actually asked. Sometimes having Dommes for friends could be a pain in the ass.

“He’s digging into some old wounds, I won’t deny it. It’s not intentional,” she said, when Ros’s mouth tightened. “He’s just pure raw submissive. This is all new to him, but he’s been immersed in the need so long it pulls him in over his head without much effort. It’s a pleasure to watch.”

“But it requires you to be more on your toes than you have to be with the experienced ones.”

“Yes. He’s worth the effort, though.” Vera looked over her shoulder. The moment she did, Rev’s gaze moved to her to see what she needed. She gave him an “I’m fine” nod.

“Clearly.” Ros’s cerulean eyes sparked. “We’re headed out. Morning meeting tomorrow with K&A’s marketing people. If you want to spend more time here tonight, you can come in late.”

“No. This is his first time in a club. Best to call it an early night, and you’ll need Skye and Cyn with you, so I’ll hold the fort at the office.”

“You might change your mind about that, even if the decision isn’t made here.” Ros gave her a significant look, prompting Vera to turn around.

The other men had departed. Rev was back to waiting for Vera.

On his knees.

He'd knelt in the center of the open area. Hands on his thighs, head bowed.

“You know where we are if you need anything,” Ros said.

Her words followed Vera, because her desires already had her in motion, headed back toward him.

When she reached Rev, he lifted his head. His look took her breath. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Waiting for you. Working on what’s in my head. Here, in this place, if someone kneeling like this, for a Master or Mistress, no one say anything to him. They cut around him, give him peace and quiet. I needed that.”

“You were impersonating a sub to be left alone.” She felt gentle amusement. “Except you’re not impersonating. You’re being yourself. Let me drop you off at home, Rev.”

“I’ll take the bus. There’s a stop close. I like riding at night. Staying on it a couple rounds give me time to clear my head.”

“Are you telling me that’s what you want to do?”

“Yeah. But I’m also asking if it okay with you, Mistress.”

She studied his eyes, his manner, how he held himself. Letting a sub be on his own when his head wasn’t entirely right was a judgment call, deciding if he needed the space, and had the steadiness to be okay. In this case, that care also warred with a personal desire. She didn’t want to let him go.

It could skew the judgment of a Domme, feeling this much. “One condition. There’s a drugstore nearby. I want to buy you a cell phone. You’ll text me periodically tonight and tomorrow. I want to make sure you’re all right.”

“It not the first time in my life my head been messed up, Mistress.” He pointed upward, the corner of his mouth tilting. “I got a direct line to Someone to help me get it straight. Don’t need no minutes or call plan. But if you want that, I don’t want you worrying. I’ll pay for it, though.

“And I like the idea of learning to drive,” he added. “If we took a trip somewhere, I could help. I want you to know I can do that, serve you how you need me to.”

His earnestness affected her, but she covered it with an arch look. “Zodiac has driven for a race team. There’s no vehicle he doesn’t know how to handle. That’s how he earned the right to drive my car from the front door to valet parking. You’ll be learning on a car I borrow. And before you start talking about camels, my Aston Martin will be cremated with me, just like Tiger’s motorcycles. I’ll use a straw to suck the ashes through that needle’s eye.”

She liked seeing him laugh. They collected their jackets and left the club, walking companionably to the drugstore. After getting the phone, he intended to walk her back to the club, but the bus stop was along the way, and by the time they’d reached it, she’d changed her mind.

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