Page 10 of The Assignment: Room 3

“Nothing.” She folds her arms across her chest.

“Bullshit.”

“I’m not in the mood, Flex. I just want to sit here quietly for a while before I head home. If you don’t want to sit in silence, then go find someone to fawn all over you.”

I nudge her shoulder. “I just wanted to check on you. You seem a little out of sorts.”

“I’m not your problem. I’m not anyone’s problem right now.” There’s a tinge of sadness in her voice, but I don’t want to push her too much.

“I thought you’d be enjoying a ménage à trois.”

“You came up to watch me masturbate while other people have sex and punishment?”

“As delicious as that sounds… no. I genuinely wanted to see that you’re okay before I head up to take a look at the progress upstairs.”

Her eyes light up. “The training level? Can I come with you?”

“Yeah, you can give me your thoughts on whether I’ve overlooked something. Obviously, I’m looking at it from a Dom’s perspective, and as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t know everything.” I give her a sly wink. “If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”

“I’d expect nothing less.”

We leisurely make our way up to the training suite, and my hard work is rewarded with a squeal of joy from Celest. “Oh my God, Flex. This is stunning.”

“Really?”

“Yes! I love it.” She wanders the space, trailing her fingers over the canes lining one of the training stations. I made sure that everything is luxurious and elegant but also functional.

“I tried to incorporate as many practices as possible. We want to ensure that everyone is indulging in safe ways. We have grown lately, and there are Doms and subs who haven’t had any training here at Venom. I think it’s imperative that we enforce the rules.”

“You? Adhering to rules?” She chuckles.

“Depends on the rules.”

“That’s what I thought.” She continues to walk the space, and Ifollow her gaze to the Shibari ropes in various colors encased in an extravagant display.

“Do you use Shibari with your submissives?”

“I have at times, depending on the sub. Logan is the real expert. He and Pierce worked with me on this floor. Logan will do a demonstration with Vittoria when we open.”

“That’s exciting. He usually keeps to himself.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t teach the way he used to. He doesn’t want to share his wife and her body with anyone else. I get it.”

“Really?”

“No, but I respect his decision. She’ll have lingerie on, but the way he crafts the Shibari ropes on her is breathtaking.”

“Are you going to train up here?”

“Do you think I’m lacking in some way?” I tease.

“I meant, are you going to teach other Doms some of these disciplines?”

“I’m not a teacher. I’m too selfish for that. I want my subs fully trained when I take them on. What about you? Is there something you want to learn?”

“I’d like to see if Shibari is something I would enjoy.” She looks almost bashful as she continues. “I…”

“Don’t be shy. It’s just us up here. What do you want to try? If I don’t have a station set up for it, I’ll make one. I don’t make that offer to just anyone, but we’re friends, so lay it on me.”

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