Page 30 of Unforgettable

I giggle at the idea that a manly man like Kisten Daniels would be wearing panties. “Hope your meetings go well.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. I’ll let Slade know that you’re going to need to do some shopping today. Hannah is in charge of all the household tasks. You can ask her if there’s anything she needs help with around here.”

I enjoy a nice shower after Matthew leaves. I’m still a little tender in a few places, but miraculously I feel almost good as new. I quickly realize there’s no way I can rub the salve on my back by myself. I do the best I can, but I know I’ve missed a lot of the worst spots on my upper back.

“Damn it,” I grumble to myself. I should’ve thought about that before I showered. Heck, I should have thought about that before leaving the clinic. There’s always been someone there to help me. Oh, well. Matthew can help me later. I change my focus to my tangled hair. Several minutes later, my hair is smooth and ready to be dried. I look through the cabinets and can’t find a hairdryer, so I decide to braid it instead.

I’m startled by a soft knock on the door. “Excuse me, Rose?” Hannah’s smoky, smooth voice floats through the door.

“Yes?”

The door cracks open, and Hannah peeks through. “Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to check and see if you need help with the salve after your shower.”

I feel a brief moment of embarrassment, but Hannah’s kind smile sets me at ease. “I would appreciate it.”

“It’s no trouble.”

We are both silent as she gently works the salve into my skin. When she’s done, she sets the cream aside and washes her hands.

“Thank you, Hannah. I really appreciate your help. Matthew said that I should speak with you about helping out with the chores or cooking.”

Hannah’s eyes grow wide. “That’s not necessary. You’re Matthew’s… guest.”

Something about the way she pauses before saying the word guest makes me think she was going to say something else and changed her mind. “I know it’s not necessary,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Matthew made that clear to me, but I insist on pulling my own weight. Besides, I’ll go crazy just sitting around waiting for him to come home.”

Hannah mulls it over for a while then nods. “Okay, I’ll find something to keep you busy. Now, let’s get your hair dry and get you dressed. We’re going shopping!” She has way more enthusiasm than I have for shopping.

She produces a blow dryer from the linen closet and directs me to a stool. “I can do it,” I say, reaching for the blow dryer.

Hannah tsks. “Let me. I love styling hair. I could even cut it if you want?”

I run my fingers through my long blonde hair and chew my lip. Do I want my hair cut? I can’t even remember the last time it was trimmed. “Um… maybe another time?”

She nods. “Yeah, we should definitely get permission from Matthew before we make any big changes.”

I bristle just a bit at her insinuating that I have to have permission for something as silly as a haircut, but then I wonder if that’s something all dominants would expect of their submissives. I mean, I know we haven’t discussed it, not really, but I want to be Matthew’s in all ways.

Hannah methodically dries my hair in sections, running the hairbrush through it over and over, following it with the dryer. The repetitive motion is relaxing. I don’t ever take so much care in drying my own hair. I turn the dryer up to high and get it done as fast as possible. When she’s finished, my hair hangs around my face in a shining golden curtain. I run my fingers through it, and my jaw drops at how soft and silky it feels.

“Wow! Thank you. I almost don’t recognize my own hair.”

Hannah blushes. “You’re welcome. If you want, I’d be happy to fix your hair before your dinner tonight. I can twist it up, or maybe put a few curls in it and give it a sexy beach look.”

I smile. “I would love that. I basically live in braids, ponytails, or I just let it do what it wants.”

A loud knock sounds on the door causing me to jump. Hannah rests her hand on my shoulder in reassurance. Slade’s voice booms through the door, and the tension leaks out of me. “Ladies, it’s time to go.”

“It gets better,” Hannah says quietly to me before telling Slade we are almost done.

Slade grumbles something about being called master and pain in the ass women. Hannah has a Cheshire Cat grin on her face as she grabs a pretty white summer dress from the countertop. I quickly pull the dress on which fits surprisingly well.

“Oh good, it fits. The shoes might be a bit big, though.” Hannah kneels down and holds up a pretty gold sandal to my foot. I let her slide first one then the other on and look down to admire the shoes. They are a little big but are the nicest pair of shoes I’ve ever worn.

Hannah stands with a smile. “Let’s go shopping!”

“You’re way more enthusiastic about spending Matthew’s money than I am. I don’t have any idea where to even start.”

“Good thing I know exactly what you need.”

Hannah practically skips from the room with me dutifully following after. She walks right up to where Slade is standing and kneels at his feet. Slade grimaces like the show of submission physically hurts him. Hannah either doesn’t notice or ignores it. With reluctance, Slade sifts his fingers through Hannah’s hair.

“You’re killin’ me, little girl,” Slade murmurs to Hannah. I feel like an intruder in a very private moment.

“I’m sorry, master,” Hannah answers.

Slade shakes his head, looking down at her with affection. “If only that were true.”

I can’t help but wonder about their relationship. After last night, I got the impression that Slade didn’t like Hannah very much, but looking at him now, I’d say he very much likes her. More than likes. In fact, he’s looking down at her the same way that Matthew looks at me.

The moment passes, and Slade offers Hannah a hand to help her to her feet. She stands with a contented sigh. Without a word, Slade leads us to the elevator. In the parking garage, Slade’s relaxed demeanor shifts and is replaced with the man I first met last night. He helps first Hannah, then me into the back of a big black SUV. Within moments we are out of the parking garage and into the bright light of the day heading towards my very first shopping spree.