“Hey, boss.” Chrissy, the club sub, pokes her head in my office doorway.
“Hey, Chrissy. Everything all right?”
“Yeah. Just worried about you.”
“Me?” I’ve never given my employees a reason to worry about me, and I don’t plan to start now.
She tilts her head, examining me. “You’ve been different since that girl arrived.”
“Macey?”
She nods. “That’s the one. Unless you’re hiding another woman upstairs in your apartment . . .”
“No. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”
“You don’t let women stay over, though, so I assume she’s someone you’re serious about, but I’ve never heard you talk about her before.”
“She and I go way back, and I’m trying to figure out how she fits into my life here, if it all.”
Chrissy lets herself in and sinks into the chair across from me. She and I have a long history, mostly just as friends, though there were a few times when she first began coming to the club that we shared more. Now she’s an employee, and call me old-fashioned, but I don’t fuck my employees. Chrissy’s a good girl, and we look out for each other.
“She used to be your submissive?” she asks, a look of concern crossing her features.
“No. We knew each other ages ago. She’s not into the lifestyle.”
Chrissy smiles at me warmly. “She wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t interested.”
That’s the problem, though. I don’t know if she’s interested in me, curious about what goes on behind closed doors, or simply running from a crappy situation and grasping onto the first distraction she can find. I intend to find out.
Chrissy’s gaze softens, and she leans in closer. “In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never had a girlfriend, never taken on a submissive as your own.”
Narrowing my eyes, I lean back in my chair. “And? Your point is?” My annoyance is rising by the second. I don’t appreciate people meddling in my personal life.
“Behind the tough Dom exterior, I know you’re actually a sweet guy, Reece. I just want you to be happy.” She smiles at me sadly.
“I’m fine, Chrissy.”
A flash of movement catches my eye, and I glance toward the door.
It’s Macey. A flicker of an unidentifiable emotion crosses her face as she says, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to confirm the time for tonight.”
I know it’s just an excuse because I cleared the time with her upstairs. I’m not sure if she came down here to see me or was merely curious about club business. Her gaze wanders from me over to Chrissy, and she goes completely still.
Chrissy’s dressed in her black vintage lingerie—lacy high-waisted panties, garters, stockings with a seam that runs up the back, and on top, a corset that allows her ample breasts to spill over. I’m so accustomed to seeing her like this, I don’t even look twice, but Macey’s cheeks flush.
“No, I was just leaving,” Chrissy says, rising to her feet. “I have to get back to work. I have a bossy Dom who’ll be here any minute, and he’ll redden my ass if I’m late.” She smiles. “Oh, darn.”
I chuckle as Chrissy heads to the door. She’s good at her job, that’s for sure.
Chrissy pauses at the door before exiting and faces Macey. “Be careful with him,” she says before sauntering away. Macey remains speechless near the door.
“Seven o’clock,” I remind Macey. “Wear something nice.”
She nods and ducks out of my office, escaping like a scared little mouse.
Well, that was interesting.
• • •
At ten minutes to seven, I walk into the restaurant and request a table in the back. I want to be here when Macey arrives. And after working all afternoon, I need a few minutes to get in the right mind space for this conversation.
Leave it to her to walk back into my life and uproot everything in a matter of two damn days. Christ, I’ve been letting her walk all over me, call all the shots. That won’t do. I need to regain the upper hand. She hasn’t seen my dominant side, but she’s about to.
After being seated at the white-clothed table with a small candle in the center, I order us a bottle of wine. The lighting is dim, and all of the other patrons seem to be couples. Frowning down at the candle bathing our secluded table and two wineglasses in a romantic glow of light, I mutter a silent curse. Why had I insisted on bringing Macey here? It feels romantic in a way that this situation doesn’t call for. All she’s looking to do is forget her troubles for a while, and I’m the man she wants to do it with. I need to treat her as I would any new submissive entering the scene.
Moments later, the hostess escorts a timid-looking Macey back to greet me. I drink in her long glossy hair that I want to wrap in my fist, her tight and curvy body built for a man’s pleasure, and that sinful mouth I want to fuck. As beautiful as she is, seeing her reminds me of the past, a painful past that I’ve tucked away and tried to forget. She was my first love—the girl who broke my heart—and I’ve changed a lot since then. No sense in reverting now because those big blue eyes are latched onto mine as if she’d follow me anywhere.
I need to remain cool and detached, just like I would with any potential sub, but damn if I don’t want to collar her and drag her back to my bed and fuck her senseless.