Page 29 of For the Sub

“No chance, Master Niles. This afternoon, you’re all mine to command.”

He arched an eyebrow.

She kept a straight face for all of three seconds before grinning. “I tried.”

They both knew he was a Dom and wouldn’t relinquish that role. Still, her easy banter made it easy to relax, and he was glad he’d come.

“Shall I uncork it for you, Sir?”

“I’ll do the honors, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, Sir. Thank you.”

She stepped aside so he could enter the kitchen. Since the tiling on the floor was worn, he presumed her friends and family all used this same door, and that added to the welcoming feel.

Now that he was inside with the door closed, the dogs bounded over. One was a massive brindle something-or-other that was the size of a pony, and she had a pink bandana around her neck. The other was an overweight, black, snarling dachshund.

“I would have warned you about my menagerie,” she said, “but I didn’t want to scare you off.” She waved her hand, about waist level and both canines quieted. “That’s MW,” she said, pointing at the smaller dog.

“MW?”

“Meanie Wienie.”

He laughed.

“I don’t want to give him a complex, so I just call him MW.” Brandy placed the bottle of wine on the counter and retrieved a waiter’s corkscrew from a drawer that contained several hundred gadgets he’d never seen before.

“Since it’s not summer, it’s not a big concern, but he has an, uhm…”

Niles waited.

“Foot fetish, of sorts. He bites big toes. Not ankles. Not feet. Just toes, big ones.”

Out of his element, he blinked. “Rescue dog?” he asked.

“How did you guess?” she replied with a wry twist to her mouth as she placed the corkscrew next to the bottle. “They’re one of my weaknesses.”

That she collected unwanted animals didn’t surprise him.

Had her heart melted in a similar fashion at the Den when she’d caught sight of him sitting outside by himself? “Do you do it with humans, too?”

“No.” When she spoke again, emotion caught in her voice. “Not anymore.”

“Meaning you used to.” Why am I prying? It’s none of my business.

“I’ve spent a lot of time trying to break myself of that habit. Animals are far easier to deal with than people. They’re more honest. Anyway, the Great Dane is named Dana.” She shrugged.

“Original.”

“A little girl chose it.”

“I didn’t know there were brindled Great Danes.”

“I didn’t either until the rescue service asked me to take her in.”

“They seem like nice dogs,” he said.

Both animals, as if on cue, sat. Dana offered her dinner plate-size paw to be shaken.