“We’ve been busy lately.” Chris’s temperature rose. James had raised a valid point. Although… “It’s not the kind of thing I want to be talking about on a construction site. Too many ears. You’re here now. What would you like to know?”
“I thought Kate was dead set against anything to do with you?”
“That was before she helped me out with Yvonne when we had a scene at the club. I panicked when she started babbling in Dutch, which sounds like someone gargling.” Chris shook his head as he remembered the horrible sounds she made. “Have you heard it?”
“I can’t say I have.”
“It turns out she switches to Dutch when she’s in subspace. Kate realized it was another language and not some kind of choking problem. The three of us connected then, and I managed to talk Kate into considering the possibility.” Chris raked his hand through his hair again. “It took some doing to convince her I don’t want to go all Dom on her, but I managed it.”
“So, you’re a switch?” James perceptive gaze bore into his.
“With Kate. I don’t want to submit to just anyone, but Scott pointed out that when you’ve invited me to join you and Laura, you were in charge then, and that was okay with me.”
“Well, sure. Laura’s my wife and sub.” James paused. “I see what you mean. So, Kate is the Domme, and you’re in between her and Yvonne?”
“More or less. We both submit to Kate, but I get to dominate Yvonne, too. We’re spending the weekend together at Kate’s, and we’ll visit the club Saturday night.” His arms and neck tingled at his next words. “I have to tell you, I think this is more than just a play contract. I’m falling for both of them. Hard.”
“That’s great, man.” James opened his mouth, paused. “What’s the catch?”
“What do you mean?” Chris let out a strangled laugh. “There’s no catch.”
“You don’t look exactly thrilled.” James’s brows drew together. “There’s more than you’re telling me.”
The man knew him too well. “I’m not sure how to handle it. Two women is different from anything I ever imagined.” Chris scratched his head, trying to identify the problem. “And Yvonne is only here on a visitor’s visa. I don’t know what her long-term plans are. What if she leaves, and then Kate decides we don’t work without her?”
“You, sir, are borrowing trouble.” James gave him a light slap on the back of his head. “Live in the moment for a bit. See how things go. Do they feel the same way you do?”
“I don’t know.”
“BDSM is all about communication, and it seems like you need to do more of it,” James concluded.
“Maybe you’re right. I’ll think about it and talk to Kate. Where’s Laura?”
“She wanted to catch up with Kate, but I don’t see her from here. I’m sure she’s around somewhere.” A noise behind them caused Chris to turn in his chair. “Hey, what’s going on at the door?”
Both men looked to see Derek Kiriakis with a small dark-haired woman shrieking as Jackson Cagney tried to pull her off him.
“I don’t know. I thought Derek and Sonja were together these days.” Chris’s muscles tensed as he watched the scene. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before. Derek doesn’t look very happy, that’s for sure.” They continued to watch as Jim, Paula, and a man they didn’t know removed the woman from around Derek’s waist. She screamed even louder, this time wanting the police, and Chris started chuckling. “I guess she doesn’t know she’s with cops already, does she?”
“She must not.” James’s frown had deepened, and he, too, looked ready to jump in. “I wonder who she is.”
“Well, they seem to be showing her out. Maybe we can find out when the dust settles.”
Paula had pulled Derek over to a table and forced him to sit. Moments later, she jumped from her seat and scanned the room. Her expression worried, she left the table and came over to Chris and James. “Have either of you seen Sonja?”
“I saw her around earlier, but I couldn’t tell you where she is now.” Chris scanned the room but came up empty.
“Sorry, I only got here a few minutes before you did, and I haven’t seen her,” James added. “You might ask Kate. She usually keeps a good eye on the room.”
“Thanks, guys.” Paula started to moveoff.
“Wait a minute.” Chris wanted to know what had happened, and Paula seemed a reliable source. “What’s going on? Who was the crazy lady you threw out?”
“Short answer. Derek’s ex. He’s afraid Sonja saw the dust-up, and I need to find her.” Paula’s tone was clipped, and she glanced over to Derek, who looked like bolting any second. Paula made a reassuring gesture to Derek, inclined her head to Chris and James, and rushed off, leaving them with almost as many questions as they had started with.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Kate stood with Sandra on the far side of the bar. Sandra had just finished a story about her most recent patient, who’d behaved like a toddler with a temper tantrum.
