Page 54 of Binding Their Hearts

“Is there a signup sheet? Do you see one?”

Alice stepped inside the tape boundary, and the small crowd turned as one. “No signups, sorry. Jay is Master Henry’s only creation tonight. But you’re welcome to observe and praise.”

The compliments grew louder, and Jay gave an eerily beautiful smile while Henry fiddled with details on the backs of his hands. Jay’s face had been transformed into a skull with a slight greenish glow, and when he closed his eyes, the lids seemed to be glowing green sockets.

After a few fiddly swipes, Henry gave a satisfied nod and crouched beside his tools. Jay bounded off the platform to her side, almost pinwheeling to a stop. “Do you like it?”

Raising a finger, she silently ordered him to make a complete turn for her inspection. The ass wiggle he added on his own initiative. “You are the most stunning skeleton I’ve ever seen, without a doubt. Show me that wiggle again from the front.”

He mimed a thrust, and she ran a finger up his cock through the latex. Conveniently one of the few places without paint. His leap of interest almost lit a spark in her before exhaustion snuffed it out.

“Extraordinary.” She exaggerated a pout. “And almost entirely off-limits now that you’re a work of art. I’ll have to lust after you from afar.” A flick of her tongue against her lips captured his full attention. “At least until we make a mess getting this paint off of you later.”

“You certainly will. A delightful mess.” Henry, back in black on black, lifted his small bag of supplies over his shoulder. “For now, however, you may carry out the task we discussed, my dear boy.”

“On it.” Yellow ribbon woven into a braid in his dark hair, Jay danced through the crowd. “See you soon.”

Henry offered her his arm. “Shall we?”

“I—yes?” She craned her neck, but Jay had disappeared into the growing sea of costumed kinksters. “Where’s he going? By himself?”

Laying a hand on her cheek, Henry turned her to face him. “I’m sorry, sweet girl.” His kiss found its way to her temple, a soothing balm over the throb of her pulse. “You’ve had no transition time this evening, no settling, no familiar rituals. Even our dinner was a hasty affair.” He followed her cheekbone with his tiny kisses, finally landing a soft enticement against her lips. “Do you trust me, Alice?”

“You know I do.” If she could force her body to relax, she would. But sharp edges knifed through her, a jittery irritation that only made her more irritated with herself in a horrible exponential swarm of tension.

“Walk with me.” He slipped her arm through his and started forward.

She could follow or faceplant. No, he wouldn’t let her fall. Not that it mattered, since her legs had moved automatically, and he deftly guided her through, nodding greetings at a smattering of people as they went. Somehow her brain had gotten set on “angry adolescent,” and it wasn’t an attractive attitude. “I’m sorry, too. I’m sorry that I’m so…” She clenched her fists and shook them, letting out a guttural garble of pure frustration. A passing green-ribbon leapt sideways. “Sorry.”

“Ahh, yes, I was about to suggest you seem quite glarrrgh this evening.” Henry smoothed out her fingers, curling them gently around his arm again. “The direct translation is perhaps tense and distracted?”

Yeah, he'd noticed.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.” They'd passed the flogging display two rooms back, and she'd barely even glanced at the sessions. “I don't want to ruin Jay’s fun with my lousy attitude. Do you think he noticed? Maybe I should hang out in the salon while you two play. You could say I have a stomachache.”

“I believe he had a marvelous time being the center of attention and will continue to do so until he's dripping in sweat under the latex. I also believe”—he side-eyed her with a stern eyebrow—“that he most certainly noticed your distress, because he is our sweet empathetic soul. And because he asked me if we ought to pack up and call it a night early.”

Fucking hell. She’d ruined the night for everyone. Jay had been looking forward to his costume for months. “Is that what we’re doing?” Hoarse and scratchy, her voice raked over her throat.

“Not yet. I would like you to try something for me.” Henry pointed with his chin toward an open door ahead. Jay stood beside it like an otherworldly sentinel. “I have hope you may enjoy it as much as Jay enjoyed his activity.”

She swallowed the mutinous inner voice with its grudging acceptance and reached deep down for the gratitude. Henry had arranged something special for her. She sure as hell hadn't earned it. She’d been grouchy six ways to Sunday for weeks.

“Thank you, Henry.” Clenching his arm, she fought to stop frustration from leaking out in tears. How was she going to handle the inevitable bumps of married life if she couldn’t keep her shit together through one temporary promotion? “I promise I'll try my hardest.”

He disagreed with a soft hum. “That’s the beauty of it. You needn’t try hard at all.” He stopped her, the two of them an eddy in the hallway flow, his gaze piercing but his smile soft. “Jay needed to be seen. You need to rest, sweet girl.”

“That sounds…” The exhaustion weighed her down, tension and stress and poor sleep like lead boots instead of the spike heels she wore. She was more zombie than necromancer. “Perfect.”

Tugging her forward, he called to Jay. “All in good order?”

Two skeletal thumbs rotated up. “Ready for liftoff.”

They’d come to the rope room. Jay fell in behind her and Henry as they navigated. At the back corner, past a half-dozen people standing or sitting or lying serenely on mats while rope swirled around them, Master Will stood earning his nickname.

Tempted to rub her eyes to check for reality, she opted for a skeptical brow. “It is Halloween, right?”

“And I’m in costume.” Will snapped candy cane suspenders against his white tank. The Santa hat perched on his head slumped dangerously sideways as he stroked the short-trimmed hairs in his white-blond beard. “Merry Christmas, Alice. Have you been a good girl this year?”

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