Page 37 of Rediscovering Rubi

“Ah, it’s nice to meet you both.” Arrow shook Logan’s hand, then cocked an eyebrow to ask permission before shaking Rubi’s hand, as well. “Derek mentioned your names when he told me there was a military guest here. I hope you two enjoyed the talk?”

“It was wonderful,” Rubi said a bit shyly. She often got a little shy around people who exuded dominance the way he did.

“It was a really good talk,” Logan told him. “There was a lot I needed to hear.”

“That’s great. That’s always my goal as an educator. If you ever have any questions or want to do a deeper dive into any of the subject matter, I’m here for the rest of the week. And since it’s the winter session the schedule is a lot less hectic than usual, and my wife stayed home this trip, so I have some free time.”

Rubi turned and put her hand on Logan’s arm, looking up at him. He knew what she was thinking.

“Thank you. I’d actually really like to take you up on that offer, if that’s okay. It’s not often I get to talk about kink with someone with a similar background.”

“I figured that was the case, and that’s why I offered,” Arrow said with a smile. “I’m having lunch with Derek tomorrow, if you’d like to join us. Unless you two already have plans?”

Logan glanced at Rubi, who gave him a nod and a smile. “I can be free for lunch,” he answered.

“There’s a little café right next to Derek’s office. It’s quieter than the restaurants—and a lot quieter than the cafeteria. Can you make it at one o’clock?”

“Yeah, one works. That would be great.”

Arrow shook his hand again, then took Rubi’s hand for a moment. “Good to meet you both. Have a great evening, and we’ll see you tomorrow, Logan.”

Rubi seemed excited as they made their way back to the main floor of the lodge, her blue eyes dancing.

“I loved everything he was saying in the talk, didn’t you?” she asked as they walked back into their suite.

“He’s a very good speaker,” Logan agreed. He took Rubi’s hand and led her to sit with him on the couch. “A lot of what he said really hit home. That’s why I’m so glad to be able to have some time with him tomorrow. Not that Derek hasn’t been helpful, and I’ve been grateful for the time he’s given me. But with Arrow’s military background, I feel like he’ll get me in a way a lot of other people just can’t, you know?”

“I totally understand that, babe. I’m glad you’re going to meet with him, too.”

He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’m realizing more and more how incredibly patient you’ve been with me. How willing to get vulnerable with me, despite the fact that I’m opening up a lot more slowly. But this class has given me a lot to think about, and I promise I will. I think talking with Arrow and Derek tomorrow might get a little heavy, so you okay with spending the evening in tonight? I have a lot to process.”

“Of course. This part is important—sort of taking the time to absorb what we learned today.”

“You feel like you learned something, too?”

She nodded. “I needed it pointed out to me that just because you’re my Dom doesn’t mean you don’t still have fears and needs, and because I haven’t really thought about it too much before, it’s something I need to process, too. Something I need to think about and remember to take into consideration. And definitely something we need to talk about at some point.”

“Yeah. That’s kind of what’s going through my head right now, too. I need to wrap my head around the idea, I guess. Hopefully talking with the guys tomorrow will help.”

She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you for being willing to do this.”

“Of course, baby. This is what we’re here for.”

“I know. But… I don’t think I realized how hard some of this was going to be for you. How much you had to face. And I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was so focused on my own issues.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, darlin’. You had no way of knowing what I failed to tell you.”

“It’s not a failure, Logan,” she said, her expression serious. “It’s just part of being human.”

“That’s sort of the hardest part for me to deal with; the being human part.”

“Babe.” She stroked her soft hand over his cheek. “You can be strong and commanding and competent, you can be my Dominant, taking me in hand, taking my submission, and still be human. You can still be a person with feelings and fears and painful memories that affect you without you being any less strong, or any less capable.”

Her eyes shone with so much gentle love right now, it made his heart stutter in his chest.

“I’ll figure this out, Rubi.”

“We’llfigure it out,” she told him before leaning in to kiss him again.

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