“Things will start moving soon,” she said soothingly, knowing how desperately Merrick wanted a ring on Tamsyn’s finger.
The look in his eyes told her he didn’t believe that, but one blink and it was gone. “Speaking of moving, I need to get my ass into gear. Long, busy shift,” he murmured, pressing his lips to his woman’s hair. “Remember what to do if you have a panic attack, little owl?”
“Don’t run.”
“That’s the first step.”
Tamsyn sighed. “Breathe, remind myself I’m safe, do not get sucked into another orgy.”
“That’s my girl.” Merrick flicked a wink in Violet’s direction. “Thank you, Vi.”
“Oh, trust me, you’re the one doing me a favor.” Smiling, Violet held her hand toward the door. “Would you like to stop by your cabin and get changed, Tamsyn?”
Tawny eyes lit with relief. “Oh God, yes.”
Maybe there was hope for the day.
Chapter Five
Boudreaux
While the Mistress was away, Reaux took advantage of the quiet to check in with the various branches of his business. Technically, he was on vacation, but even though he trusted the managers he’d personally selected to run his life’s work, he was not a silent owner.
Baton Rouge, the two clubs in Shreveport, and New Orleans all reported no issues. High footfall, excellent reviews, a minor uptick in membership—nothing less than what he expected from his oldest, most established locations.
He wasn’t pleased, however, to learn that his manager in the Lafayette branch of Amatory had suddenly been hit with the urge to pursue a career in drag, leaving without notice and handing over the reins to the bartender.
No, that did not please himat all.
After a lengthy discussion with Theo, the bartender, Reaux was mildly mollified by the fact the guy seemed to have some wits about him and was valiantly juggling two stressful positions without complaint or a pay rise. Evidently, he aspired to become more than a drink slinger, and Reaux was—once he’d scanned quickly through the man’s employee file—inclined to give him that opportunity.
The food arrived as he was transplanting one of his more experienced deputy managers from Shreveport as back up for Theo, but Violet was nowhere to be seen.
It wouldn’t come as a shock to discover she’d found something to occupy her time so she could hide and regroup. She hated the fact he knew her better than herself—or maybe it was the fact he was the only one around here who had intimate knowledge of submissive Violet, which opened up her vulnerabilities.
With Theo’s support on route to Lafayette, one last call to Metairie proved uneventful. Everything was running smoothly, he’d call Theo in a couple days to follow up on what they’d discussed today, and overall, he was satisfied his businesses were in good standing.
When he finally heard the click of heels heading toward the kitchen, he stood and carried the covered plates to the table. His stomach growled, scenting the familiar aroma of Southern cooking, and for a moment he was horribly homesick.
It had been hard, living apart from Violet all this time. His heart was rooted firmly in Louisiana, the land of his blood, and yet she’d taken a big chunk of it with her. For two years, he hadn’t felt whole. Now, that missing piece was slotted back where it needed to be, but it would take time to fuse into place.
Once it was healed, he knew he wouldn’t feel complete until he—and Violet—were back where they both belonged.
Uncovering the plates with a flourish, Reaux turned to smile at her, only to stop in his tracks and stare at the diversion his Mistress had brought home. Sneaky, clever, dastardly woman. “Well, hello there.”
Huge, beautiful hazel eyes beamed innocence at him. “Oh, wow.”
Violet huffed and ushered the woman toward the table. “Boudreaux, this is Master Merrick’s submissive, Tamsyn. Tamsyn, Boudreaux. Don’t let him dazzle you.”
“But he’s so pretty.”
Pretty?Reaux supposed he could either be offended or not, and opted for not. The way the woman kept sneaking him glances was more awed than derisive, so pretty was probably a compliment.
Violet’s stare, however, was simply dismissive, as though she hadn’t come all over his cock ninety or so minutes ago. Her shields were firmly back in place, her anger and pain meshed together again to form that impenetrable wall she used so effectively to shelter behind.
He beat them to the table, pulling out a chair for Tamsyn first, then doing the same for Violet. As she sat gracefully, he set his hands on the back of the seat and leaned down so only she could hear his whisper. “Bringing home a sweet little stray won’t save you, Bennie. I’m not done with you yet, not by a long shot.”
He heard her small, shaky inhale.
