And I knew his face well enough that I was certain he hadn’t been there on the nights I’d worked since
opening night.
“Would it be easier for you if I call him and talk to him first?” As much as I appreciated
William’s offer, I couldn’t take him up on it. I needed to take a stand for myself. “I’m not saying I’ll
come out for you. That’syourstory to tell. But I can reach out to him as a friend and ask that he hear
you out. It’s not uncommon for a Dominant to take a submissive under his protection. That’s exactly
what I’m offering you now. Whether it’s Theron or someone else, I will be a layer of protection for
you. If, at any point, I feel you’re unsafe or it’s not a healthy situation for you, I would have the ability
to call an end to the discussion.”
That didn’t sound so bad. If nothing else, having William there with me ensured I couldn’t chicken
out of talking to Theron. And if things went south, William would be able to pick up the pieces and
start putting me back together.
“Would you mind?” I balled my hands into fists when I noticed I was rubbing my thumb over my
bottom lip. “I don’t want him to think I can’t take care of myself, but maybe having you there with me
wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
“Then we’ll make it happen.” William hugged me tighter and I felt the remaining tension leave my
body. I settled against William, allowing myself to drift off to sleep. Homework could wait.
4
Theron
Some weeks were easier than others. This week definitely fell into the ‘others’ category. As I finished
typing up a report on the disciplinary meeting I’d just had with a set of divorced parents who could
hardly stand being in the same room as one another, I felt a telltale throbbing in my temples. I pulled
open my top drawer and shook out two pain relievers. With any luck, they’d kick in before this
tension headache had a chance to blossom into a migraine.
I groaned when there was a knock at the door. Because it was the way of things today, my water
bottle was empty when I picked it up to wash down the pills, so I swallowed them dry. “Come in.”
I couldn’t decide if I was relieved or annoyed when Tom walked through the door. He and I had
been friends for a long time, and he was a pain in my ass—both personally and professionally. Seeing
him here at the end of the day meant he either had another issue for me to handle before I could finally
pack it up for the weekend or he wanted to meddle in my personal life. My money was on the latter,
