Page 91 of S is for…

“You’re such a brat,” he said with a grin.

Laney returned the smile.“Only for you, Master.”

“It’stime to switch up our partners.”

She couldn’t have heard that right.Diann eased open one swinging door of her changing room.Lihn, Peter, and Julen were standing together on the opposite side of the building talking.It made no sense that she heard them, but she did, dread tightening in her stomach as she stared at Julen.

He was standing with his back to her, listening to Lihn, and apparently agreeing when Lihn declared that she would be going with him, not Julen.

Despite everything.The kisses.The sex.The way they connected and understood each other without words.This rare and precious thing they had was apparently worthless to Julen.

Rage and despair made her tremble, and Diann tried desperately to hold on to the rage.It was safer.

“Diann’s mine.”

Julen’s snarled words had her head popping up.She pushed the door open further, just in time to see Julen turning towards her while Peter shoved Lihn back a step in a classic a-fight-is-about-to-break-out move.

There was a splash as Lihn fell into the pool, but she was focused on Julen.He looked dark and dangerous, and when he pushed open the door, the air around him seemed to shiver.

“I think I’m falling in love with you,” he declared.

Diann froze.

“I know that’s why you and Peter broke up, so I should keep my fucking mouth shut in the hope that maybe if you didn’t know, I could keep you as my sub for a while.”

Diann opened and closed her mouth, not so much speechless as wanting to say a thousand things at once, with the result that nothing actually came out of her mouth.

“What I feel for you, and the things I want to do to you… First of all, they don’t make sense together.”

“What do you want to do?”Finally, she said something.

“I want to tie you so tight you can’t move, and you feel me on every inch of your skin through the ropes.I want everyone who sees you in bondage to know you’re mine, and if that doesn’t do it, I want to fuck you in the middle of the library while half the club watches and then mark every inch of your skin with a cane.”

“Is that all?”It was getting easier to talk.

“No.I want to buy you things and take you out to dinner and ask about your day.I want to know your last name and where you live and meet your friends.”

Once upon a time, that’s what Peter had wanted.Except he wouldn’t have included the caning.He wouldn’t have been able to.

“So now that I’ve fucking told you, I won’t get any of those things.”He swallowed hard.“So I should have kept my mouth shut, and let Lihn take you, but I just…can’t.”

He dropped his head, the muscle in his jaw flexing.

Diann’s heart swelled.She walked to him then cupped his cheek, raising his face until their eyes met.

“I’m falling in love with you, too.”

His expression didn’t change.

“I thought you didn’t care.I heard Lihn say it was time to swap, and you seemed to be just standing there agreeing, and I started to break.”

She pressed her free hand against her heart, just above the towel she wore.

“I won’t lie, I’m terrified by the idea of dating my Master.Or letting my boyfriend be my Dom.Some part of me can’t let go of the worry that things will leak, and either I won’t be able to fully submit, or my partner would expect me to be submissive outside the club.”

“I won’t,” he said.“I promise.”

“I’m not sure you can promise that.That either of us can,” she said.“But what we have is special.”

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