Page 14 of For the Night
“It starts at two,” I said.
He nodded. “That explains it. I’m assuming his folks will watch our kids. But anyway—” He cleared his throat, visibly bothered by something. “If you don’t find a Domme tomorrow and still wanna join the Game, I’ll be happy to fill in. I won’t let you call me Mistress, but I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
I grinned. Relief flooded me too, and I was honestly touched by his kindness. That was so sweet of him. He definitely seemed like a fun Top, and I’d played nonsexually with men in the past.
“What about Ma’am?” I teased.
He smirked. “Fuck around and find out, girl.”
I laughed.
“That’s very kind of you—I might take you up on that, no matter what,” I said. “My only hope for tomorrow was to explore predicament bondage and ceremonial poses.”
He lifted his brows and turned to Penelope. “Hear that, Pen? Ceremonial poses. You love that nonsense.”
Re. Lent. Less.
Penelope rolled her eyes. “I heard her. You’re not being subtle, Ash.”
“Fuck subtle.” Ash rose to his feet with a grunt. “I’mma grab a beer. You girls want anything? Another cider for the Swedish girl?”
“Oh—yes, please. Lane opened a tab for me.” I held up my bottle so he could see what kind it was.
Now, what? He was just gonna leave us alone? I didn’t like that one bit. Penelope had been clear; she wasn’t interested. End of story.
“Thanks, but my tab is better,” Ash replied. He turned to Penelope next, and she requested a glass of wine.
Tate and Kingsley got up at the same time, and Tate gave us a heads-up that the pizza would be here soon.
I had a choice now. Immediately excuse myself to go to the bathroom and spare myself awkwardness, push through the moment of awkwardness and make conversation with Penelope, or check my phone.
“I’d apologize for him, but for some reason, Ash’s bull-in-a-china-shop approach has always worked with people.”
I glanced at Penelope. Maybe I didn’t have to make the choice after all.
I mustered a smile. “It’s like he doesn’t allow for anyone to feel uncomfortable.”
“Yeah, that’s him.” She sighed and smirked ruefully. “I don’t possess that gift.”
I took a swig from my cider, and my stomach fluttered as she shifted closer on the sofa.
Evidently, it didn’t take more than that for the whole world to disappear. I stopped hearing the murmur of conversation going on around us; I stopped hearing the country boys on their guitars.
“May I speak bluntly?” she asked.
Fuck. Helvetes jävla skit. This was it.
“Of course.” I swallowed. She was gonna ask me not to make a move or something. Or let me know she’d heard through the grapevine that I was interested, and she was letting me down gently.
It didn’t feel gentle whatsoever.
“I would love to buy you a drink tomorrow at the event,” she said, causing the noise of screeching tires to blare in my brain. She wanted to do what? “If you’re interested in exploring a kink or getting together to see if we could play, I’m definitely game.”
As wonderful as that sounded, I knew a but was coming.
“That’s unfortunately it for me, though,” she went on. A fancy kind of but, in other words. “I’m not in a good place in life, and you deserve someone who’s not so damn jaded.”
My heart sank; I couldn’t help it. But it wasn’t just self-pity. I felt for her. I could practically sense that she was too emotionally exhausted for games and beating around the bush. So…what, she was gonna stick to casual…? We’d all been there. It wasn’t that long ago I’d broken up with my ex, and she’d been a fucking bitch toward the end. Manipulative and catty. I couldn’t stand it.