Page 158 of At Her Pleasure
She discovered a quiet pride as they asked for the tour, and she showed them the things she’d done to make the house a home. Looking at the landscaping and gardening work she’d done, Vera, their vegetable expert, asked her about the soils she was using for her flourishing flower beds. Inside, Ros complimented Cyn on her living room photo montage, created out of recycled wood. It showed pictures of all of them, at Abby’s wedding and other social occasions.
Through it all, Mick moved among them, making sure the women had full drinks and access to appetizers. She really should have gotten him that apron, but there was something distractingly masculine about a well-dressed man who tended to the needs of female guests with warm smiles and a deep voice.
He wore slacks and one of his blue dress shirts. Her necklace gleamed against his tanned skin, while his groomed beard coaxed her to stroke its softness. He’d brushed his hair so the top strands fell over his brow in their appealing, rakish way. That mysterious gaze, holding a hint of the unsafe man he could be, added to the appealing package.
He wasn’t a service sub, but after she’d told him it would just be the women, he’d quickly adapted, and proved himself good enough to earn approving looks. Though they’d keep their hands to themselves, she was tossed more than one teasing look about how damn sexy he was.
In his mind, he’d be going over all the possible reasons she hadn’t told him it would only be the women. She was sure he wouldn’t guess the why of it—but he was good at waiting to see how an unexpected situation unfolded.
When they sat down for dinner, he didn’t join them. He bent to brush his lips across her temple. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you want anything, Mistress.”
As he departed, Skye picked up her plate and fanned herself with it, then used it as a shield to deflect the dinner roll Cyn pelted at her, starting the meal with laughter. While they filled their plates, there was easy conversation about the food, as well received as she’d expected. It moved forward along a female, meandering path, through work, personal lives, clients and family. More about Cyn’s house, her interest in gardening.
However, as the meal drew to a close, Ros met her gaze, a question. Anticipation slid through Cyn as she nodded. She’d told them she wanted the formal acknowledgement, but had left it to them to choose the look of that, for the same reason she’d opened her home. She trusted them. They would know what was needed.
Mick had reappeared to clear the table and bring out coffee and dessert. He waved away offers to help.
“I’m gaining job experience. Waitstaff is looking good. With my fabulous ass and New Orleans’ endless supply of bars, I’ll make enough in tips to earn a decent living.”
In reality, he and Tyler had spoken a couple of times. Cyn suspected Mick would eventually end up helping several of those task forces who could use his expertise. He might travel to those locations to give his insights, and monitor the progress on certain ops. He might even train others to go undercover, or be a handler like Tyler.
He wasn’t ready for it yet. He needed to get his head on straight first, and Tyler had bluntly told him that sign-off would come from her, not Mick himself. Though Mick hadn’t responded well to that, Tyler didn’t budge.
It would take time, but he’d get there, she knew it. Though Mick had kept moving to stay ahead of the darkness within him, at his core he was also a man who could get restless if fixed in one place. When he balanced out, she could handle him being on the road, doing the things that mattered to him.
As long as he always came home to her.
“Mick, before we do coffee and dessert,” Ros said smoothly, “we’d like to handle something else first.”
Cyn gestured to the place by her chair. “Come stand over here,” she told him.
His wariness amused her. He wasn’t into being shared, nor being treated blatantly like a sub in front of others, outside of a formal club session. With the look she gave him, she conveyed her respect for that, even as she was telling him to get over it for a few minutes.
He stood beside her chair and spoke with forced ease. “Sure. What’s up?”
Ros rose and folded her hands, meeting his gaze. “Each man who has come into our circle belongs to one of us. He also belongs to all of us. Family, not just the traditional definition, but as it’s defined by Dominants and submissives. They are under our protection and guidance. They can look to us for that, wherever it’s needed.”
“I don’t understand,” he said slowly.
“I think you do.” She arched a fine brow. “I expect you’ve even asked Lawrence, Neil or Tiger about it in some roundabout way, because you’re a perceptive man.”
“Roundabout” was the right word. Cyn doubted any of the men had spoken overtly of it. Their experiences had been very personal and different for each of them, fitting the relationship they had with the Mistress in question.
Mick looked toward Cyn. She saw the concern in his gaze, that darkness. I’m not ready, I’m not worthy of this. I will let you down.
No, you aren’t. But yes, you are worthy. And no, you won’t let me down.
“This isn’t a decision for you to make,” she said. “It’s mine. Whatever happens between you and me will happen. But I’m certain of my feelings on this, and toward you. That’s what this is about, Mick. They’re letting you know that they support that. They support us.”
The understanding penetrated his defenses. His tensions eased as what she was telling him took root and rocked his world, making his gaze on her soften.
Cyn was reinforcing before witnesses what she’d only intimated in private. I want you for my own. Not for a session, not until we hit a bad patch. But always. Through everything.
“You love me and you want to serve me. Is that true? It’s the only question that matters.”
“Yeah, it is. If I can…” He shook his head. “Yeah. Yes, Mistress.”
Abby had excused herself from the table earlier. Now a silver box rested by her plate. She picked it up and passed it down to Cyn. When Cyn removed the top, Mick’s gaze fell upon it at the same time hers did.