“Ugh, can you put a shirt on?” I ask, averting my eyes.
“There’s nothing wrong with the male form, Em.”
“Yeah, but you’re like my brother, and I don’t wanna see him shirtless either.”
“Fair point,” he says, and I hear him walk to his room. When he returns fully dressed, we stand at the counter, eating our breakfast in silence.
“You wanna talk about last night?” he asks, sipping his coffee.
“Want to, no. Need to, probably.” I pause for a moment. “Is it weird that I’m not comfortable with your shirtless body, but I can talk to you about my naughty exploits?”
He chuckles. “It’s kinda quirky, but so are you, and I don’t judge. I work at a sex club, there’s nothing I haven’t seen or heard.” He hops onto the counter. “So, I’m all ears. Did Daddy Dom solve your problem?”
I shift on my feet, suddenly anxious at hearing about him. “Daddy Dom? Is Dom his actual name?” I’m a little too eager for his answer.
“Dom is his kink, not his name. He’s known as DaddyDom around the club, but very few people know who he really is since he’s a pretty private guy.”
“Why do I get the feeling you know a lot of people’s secrets?” I stare at him pointedly, hoping he’ll give this one up. I need to see him again, and for some reason, I’m afraid to ask.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something?” He cocks an eyebrow.
I blow out a deep breath. “He was able to touch me. And, boy, did he touch me.”
“You’re cured?” he asks, and I can see the hope in his eyes.
“I thought so. He restrained me and touched me. Everywhere. And I mean, everywhere. And then he made me…” My cheeks heat thinking about his touch.
“You can say orgasm, Em. He made you come. Sounds like a successful session.”
“What if the only reason it worked was because I was restrained? Or because I couldn’t see his face? What if I’m not really cured?”
“You did let him carry you in the hallway after your freak-out.”
“I don’t know what came over me in the hallway. He did that motion with his neck, and it sounded just like the figure in my dreams. I know he’s not that man, but it spooked me.”
He doesn’t say anything in response, and we eat in silence for several minutes. I’m afraid to say it. Alyx already did me a huge favor by letting me go to the club, and another by introducing me to his friend. It almost feels like a game of chicken to see who will break first. Staring at him, I give my best sad eyes, jutting out my lip a little while batting my eyelashes.
“Fuck, no. I know exactly what that look is, and the answer is no. You’re not going back. That was a one-time thing, and we’re pushing our luck if I bring you back.”
“I need to see him again. He is the only person who’s been able to get that far. I really think he can help me.” My mind flashes back to last night, me on the bed pleading to see himagain. He gave me a slight nod of agreement, but once we left, I realized I had no way to contact him except for Alyx.
“This is a bad idea.”
“Please,” I beg, turning up the puppy dog eyes.
“You know, you’re not the sweet little girl people think you are. But, fine, we’ll figure something out.”
I launch myself into him, hugging him tight.
“Kinda wish I was one of those people whose touch repulsed you cuz this is a damn tight hug,” he grunts as I relax my grip.
“Thank you.” I’m pressed against his chest as a wave of relief washes over me. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I’m oddly comforted at the thought that spending time with a certain masked stranger is in my future.
CHAPTER 4
JOHN
There are rules by which I live my life. I need structure to quiet my brain. My household was pretty chaotic growing up, and having rules to follow helped me achieve what was expected of me. I had so little control over my life back then, and rules provided me a sense of comfort and order.
