His gray eyes had never left hers. “I love you, Jessica. Never doubt it.”
“I love you, Master,” she whispered, holding him closer and letting herself drift.
Sometime later, she realized he’d cleaned her up, released her, and was now settling her on top of him. With firm hands, he molded her close, so not the slightest barrier came between them.
She could hear the slow thuds of his heart; her breathing rose and fell with his; his masculine scent surrounded her. And she gave a tiny sigh of perfect content.
In all the universe, this was her happy place.
Two hours had almost passed, so Anne was unsurprised to hear footsteps in the hallway outside the room she’d chosen. She looked up from her book.
Z walked through the door, wearing his usual black jeans and black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair was damp from a shower, and his eyes were heavy-lidded with satisfaction.
Jessica had won the day.
He studied Anne silently, his face unreadable. “My submissive doesn’t have a devious bone in her body,” he said finally. “I didn’t test her loyalty by asking, but I would guess the advice came from you or Gabi.”
Oh. Damn. Meddling in another Dom’s affairs was considered ill mannered. Aiding a submissive to manipulate her Master? Especially when the Master was Z?
Hanging offense.
Admittedly, she’d hoped Z wouldn’t figure out she’d given Jessica more than babysitting services, but she’d known the possible consequences if he did. “I gave her the suggestion.”
His gaze stayed on her. “You had a reason. Might I know it?”
He knew her well, knew meddling wasn’t her style. “This is something you should discuss with your submissive.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “We did. But your interference is between you and me, Dominant to Dominant. Explain, please.”
“Her talks with you had proven unsuccessful.” After a second, Anne added diplomatically, “Actually, I didn’t think waiting another week was unreasonable to be certain of safety.”
He nodded.
“However, after giving birth, women aren’t especially reasonable. She said she needed not only the sex, but also the intimacy and the power exchange that came with it. It appeared her frustration was rapidly turning to anger. Toward you.”
Z rubbed his face. “I understand. In this case, I appreciate the…intervention…although you might have simply spoken to me instead.”
“I offered. She refused that idea. Vehemently. You may ask her about it.”
“I will.” He walked over and picked up his daughter, snuggling her close with a kiss to her fuzzy head.
Arms empty, Anne felt the slow slide of envy.
Taking his extended hand, she let him pull her to her feet. After handing him Sophia’s diaper bag, she scooped up her purse.
At the door, she hesitated. “Are we good?”
“We are. Thank you for your care, Anne.” Laughter lit his steel-gray eyes. “I’m glad to see the Mistress hasn’t lost her touch—your advice was quite effective.”
“Good to know.” As they parted ways, Z back upstairs and Anne to the outside, she decided she’d have to check Ben’s reaction if he saw his Mistress taking her pleasure into her own hands.
Chapter Eighteen
“Day’s over. Head on in,” Ben shouted from Raoul’s patio.
Groans came from the dozen teenage boys on the beach.
“Here you go, Bronx.” A boy pitched the Frisbee into the waves. “Get it one last time.”
Bronx barked happily and charged into the surf.
“These are good children.” Raoul joined Ben at the railing. “I’m glad they could all make it here.”
Slowly, reluctantly, the boys started up the steps toward the house. Sunburned, sandy, scruffy. Some had more tats than clothes. More piercings than money. A few of them looked as if they’d murder their grandmothers and rob a 7-11 on the way home.
Yet, as Bronx pranced out of the water, Frisbee held high, every single boy cheered. Each gave the dog pats and scratches as he trotted past them on the steps.
Ben accepted the Frisbee and ruffled the dog’s ears. “Thanks, Bronx. You did good today, buddy.”
If there were therapy dogs for unhappy teenagers, Bronx would be a natural. Even the quietest kid blossomed under the retriever’s attentions, and the dog had become an essential member of the group soon after Marcus recruited Ben.
The original bunch had been kids in Marcus’s martial arts club. The sensei there had offered some at-risk teens free lessons, hoping the discipline of karate would benefit them. Marcus started the outings, partly for fun, partly to acquaint them with various careers. Then his friends had stepped in. Now, some of the kids worked for Andrea’s cleaning business, some in Beth’s landscaping company.