Chapter 10
The front door slammed behind Reece as she dropped her purse on the kitchen table. It had been a long ass day. She kicked off her heels then ripped through her pantyhose. Riding home on the late-day train always made her feel sweaty and dirty. What she needed was a long shower, a mug of tea, and a trashy reality TV show. She checked the clock. Scarlet should’ve been home by now but it was quiet. Usually, Scarlet was starting dinner when Reece got back from the city – on the days she commuted.
Barefoot, she padded down the hallway and into their bedroom.
Scarlet was there, sitting in the center of the bed, grinning. “Look what I picked up today to try, kitten.” She dangled an object between her fingers.
A sense of dread formed a pit in Reece’s stomach. “Ugh. Not now, Scarlet.” Ever since Malachi had gotten involved in their relationship, they’d been sliding down a slippery slope. Yeah, sex was hotter than ever before. There was a certain amount of...rightness when they played now but...
The jingle caught her attention. She glared at the pink jeweled collar in Scarlet’s hand. A collar. Like a pet. Like a real sub. Maybe she submitted, at times, but she wasn’t enough of a sub to wear a collar.
“It’s just for play.” Scarlet frowned. “Try it. You might like it.”
She scrunched her nose. “It’s not really my kink.”
Scarlet knee-walked across the bed toward Reece. “How do you know without trying?”
One shoulder lifted in a careless shrug. “I just know.”
Her girlfriend’s features sharpened, as did her voice. “Come here, kitten. Now.”
She started to move then stopped herself. This was Scarlet, not Malachi. She could say no to her. There was no muscle to back Scarlet up if she didn’t accept it either. “No.”
Scarlet’s jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. Slowly, she stepped off of the bed and approached Reece. When did she learn to look so mean? Had Malachi taught her that? She gulped and took a few steps back.
A moment later, Scarlet had her back pressed up against the wall. “You don’t tell me no, little pet. The only words that should come out of that pretty mouth are either a safeword or yes, uh...” She trailed off, looking contemplative.
“Sir?” Reece finished for her, giggling.
Scarlet focused those sharp eyes on her. “It’s better than no!”
The idea of the collar both thrilled her and scared her. Unfortunately for Scarlet, fear overrode excitement. Caving now would be the easy way. She couldn’t let Scarlet have the upper hand. A collar was a serious step. She’d read the books and blog posts. It meant she was marked. Owned. No longer herself, but a toy, an object for someone else to use. Weak and unimportant.
Despite the stern look on Scarlet’s face, and the little flutter it caused in Reece’s stomach, she couldn’t give in. Besides, it wasn’t as if Scarlet could force her. Even with her athletic body, she still weighed less than Reece. If it came down to a wrestling match, chances were good she’d win, especially in her current mood.
Instead of cowering against the wall, she stepped up to Scarlet so they were just inches apart, stared into her eyes and said, “No, sir .”
A quiet moment passed and anger grew in Scarlet’s eyes. When she thought she’d give in, like she had so many times before, Scarlet grabbed a handful of Reece’s hair and dragged her to the bed. She’d forgotten how much power Scarlet had with a hand in her hair. If she resisted, she’d lose a chunk of it.
At their bed, Scarlet shoved her face down on the edge. Reece put her hands on the mattress to push herself off but Scarlet kept a firm grip on her hair.
“Let me go!” she yelled.
“No, brat.” She pushed down on her head, keeping her pinned. “We’re going to have a little talk.”
Her temper flared and she fought. “Fuck you!” Reaching back, she grabbed onto Scarlet’s hand in her hair and tried to pry it off. When that didn’t work, she twisted her body, trying to get loose. She felt Scarlet shuffle, attempting to keep her under control. At least she was making it difficult.
A knee pressed down on her lower back, stopping her from writhing around.
“Scarlet!” She reached around again and smacked and pinched her leg wherever she could. “Ouch!” Her scalp burned when Scarlet forced her head to the side. She felt the bed move as she shifted her weight. The knee above her ass moved to her upper back.
Weight pressed on her long locks, keeping her head in place while Scarlet caught her wrists and held them behind her head. She squirmed and kicked and struggled. All it did was tire her out.
Panting, covered in sweat, she finally gave in. “Scarlet. Please let me up.”
“No,” she snapped. Then she shifted both Reece’s wrists into one of her hands and pulled up Reece’s skirt.
Oh crap. “No! Don’t!”
It was too late. Scarlet had whipped down her underwear before the protest came out. She smacked one cheek. “Why do you obey Malachi and not me?” She didn’t give Reece the chance to answer before she slammed her hand down again on the other cheek.
“Ow!”
Over and over she spanked her, alternating cheeks. She didn’t hold back and her freakishly strong hand stung like a bitch. “Why can’t you let go? I know you like it. Why are you being so stubborn?”
She stopped for a moment, seeming to wait for an answer. Even if Reece wanted to answer, she couldn’t even begin to sort out how. But Scarlet didn’t wait for long. She started spanking her again and each slap felt harder than the last. Soon she was squirming to dodge them. Tears threatened to spill. From the pain?
Another slap. And another.
“Ow, Scarlet!”
“Answer me!” she demanded. “Why won’t you just let go?” Her voice broke but she kept hitting her sore ass over and over.
It was becoming clear Scarlet wasn’t going to stop until she answered. But even she didn’t fully understand why she couldn’t do it. Why she was holding onto control so hard? Why couldn’t she let go when it came to Scarlet? Finally the floodgates opened and she started to sob.
“Okay,” she yelled through tears. “I’m scared! It’s because I’m scared.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw Scarlet’s hand go up. She braced herself but nothing happened. A moment later, Scarlet scrambled off of her.
“You’re scared?” She sounded incredulous.
Rubbing her face back and forth on the mattress, she wiped the wetness from her cheeks. Or maybe just spread it around. “Can I get up?”
Silence.
“Please, Scarlet?” Her voice sounded so tiny and pleading. Was this what Scarlet wanted? Her, broken and sad?
“Yes. I...I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
She turned over, hissing when her ass hit the bed. Scarlet had moved to the middle of the bed, and sat there with slumped shoulders and red, puffy eyes. Red eyes?
“Why are you crying?” she asked, fighting the urge to comfort her. If anything needed comforting, it was her sore ass.
“I don’t know. Why are you crying?”
She rolled her eyes but sniffled. “Gee, I wonder.”
“I didn’t hit you that hard.”
“You underestimate your strength,” she mumbled, scooting toward Scarlet.
They sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, both awkwardly gazing at anything other than each other.
Before Reece could fill the silence, Scarlet said softly, “I don’t want you to be scared of me.”
“I’m not scared of you .” She looked up and saw the sadness there on Scarlet’s face and it felt like a punch to the gut. She deserved better. An explanation at least. Or an attempt at one.
“I love you too much to let this break us up,” Scarlet said. “If you don’t want to be my sub –”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what are you scared of?”
After a loud sigh, she gave in. “Everything. I’m scared this will change us. I’m scared I won’t be good enough for you. I’m scared something bad will happen if I lose control –”
“Not lose,” Scarlet said, shaking her head. “You’re not losing control. You’re handing it over willingly.”
Reece looked at her. “Right.” Same difference.
“You still don’t get it. Submission isn’t me taking your will away. It’s you giving it over to me. Because you trust me.” At Reece’s silence, she frowned. “Do you trust me?”
Did she? Trusting anyone was a stretch. She was a classic type A personality. Giving up the slightest bit of control made her panic. But that was what Scarlet wanted of her. She wanted her to hand it over. Just like that. To prove she trusted her? Was this a test?
“Don’t think about it so hard,” Scarlet said then pressed her finger between Reece’s knitted brows. “Just answer. Do you trust me?”
She thought back through the last year of their relationship. She’d shared parts of herself she’d never shared with anyone. Her deepest, darkest secrets. Her biggest fears. When her grandma had died suddenly from a heart attack, she’d fallen into a deep depression, gained twenty pounds then almost slipped into a full-blown eating disorder. Not only had Scarlet been there for her, she never judged her. Not even a little bit. She made her feel beautiful – stretch marks and all.
Scarlet had seen every bit of ugliness inside her – every nasty thought, every weakness, and loved her anyway. Reece had spent the first six months of their relationship shocked that she could tell Scarlet anything and it wouldn’t scare her. She’d tested it, waited for Scarlet to become disgusted and leave. But she only loved her harder, insisted she was beautiful and smart and worthy. At this point, trust was a no-brainer.
“Of course I trust you,” she said.
“So why don’t you trust me to take control for a little while? Do you think I’d push you further than you can handle? Do you think I won’t take care of you? I love you more than anything. I love you so much it hurts. Every time you walk into the room, it takes the air from my lungs. I’d never do anything to risk losing you. Or to hurt you –”
Reece tossed her a look.
“ – more than you can handle. I’d do anything for you. Even go back to vanilla if that’s what you want.”
“It’s not what I want.” That much she knew was true. Then what did she want?
“Do you want to go back to switching? We could do that. Maybe you just need some pointers from Malachi then –”
She shook her head. “No. He’s right. I’m not a switch.” Then what was she? A submissive? A weak-willed woman who needed someone to direct her life? If that was what Scarlet wanted... Tears fell from her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
“Ohhh,” Scarlet said then shifted to sit against the headboard. “Come here, love.”
Reece looked at her arms, open and inviting, just like her heart. Scarlet deserved someone better. Maybe she’d finally come to her senses and dump Reece. But the comfort was too much to resist right now so she crawled across the bed and into her arms.
Lips pressed against her head and Scarlet stroked her hair, soothing the ache she’d caused. “Don’t cry. We’ll figure it out. The important thing is we do it together, right?”
She didn’t trust her voice so she just nodded.
“Nothing will ever change that, Reece.” Scarlet rubbed her back then kissed her hair again.
She wasn’t dumping her? After all this, Scarlet wasn’t giving up on her? She felt a huge relief lifted from her shoulders.
Stuttering and hiccupping, she asked, “If I agree to be your sub, will you still...” Her voice quivered. “Love me the same?” She squeezed her eyes shut, fearing the worst.
“What?” A hand came under her chin and Scarlet forced her head up to look at her. “Of course I will. You’ll always be my kitten, whether you’re the sub, the Domme, the mother of our children...” She smiled. “Or an old lady.”
Reece chuckled and buried her face in Scarlet’s neck.
Scarlet tightened her arms around her. “Being a sub doesn’t mean you’re not you, silly. And I don’t want to control your life. Trust me, it’s waaay too complicated for me to want to meddle in.” A little laugh then she sighed longingly. “We’ve always been like this, you know. Even before we officially started kink. You’d show me submission in small ways. You just didn’t recognize it. Then when we forced it in the bedroom, you resisted and withdrew.”
“I did?”
“Yes. Don’t you remember? When I came in from work, you’d help me shower then let me play with your hair for hours while we talked and watched TV.”
“I just wanted to see you naked.”
They both chuckled.
“You like kneeling for me,” Scarlet said. “Admit it. Because like most subs, deep down inside, it makes you feel good to please me.”
Her face flushed. How could something sound so wrong but feel so right? She wasn’t a simpering female who believed in stereotypical family roles. She was an independent, strong woman. But there was a certain satisfaction in pleasing Scarlet, going the extra distance. Even kneeling at her feet felt...right. She hated that she felt that way. Being a Domme fit so much better with her personality and career.
“I love that about you, you know,” Scarlet said quietly, still petting her. “I love this soft side of you. That you may be powerful in your day job but when you walk through that door, you’re mine. My pet, who lets me do naughty things to her then curls up in my lap and falls asleep. That you give me that, Reece, means the world to me.”
Though more tears fell, a small smile made its way to her lips. She loved that too. It made her feel loved and protected and...complete. She could trust Scarlet with that, right? It wasn’t as if she’d turn into some cruel dictator. Scarlet was all goodness and fairness and love. Maybe Malachi had been right. If she stopped fighting it, stopped forcing their roles and putting them in the box she thought they belonged, their sex issues would work themselves out.
“Scarlet?” she said in a small voice still tight from sobbing.
“Yes?”
After a deep breath, she peeked up at her. “Can we try again?”
Her brows lifted in a look of surprise then her eyes warmed. “Yes. We can try again.”
Reece wiggled out of Scarlet’s embrace and peered around the room. When she spotted the discarded collar on the floor at the foot of the bed, she turned to her girlfriend. “I’ll be right back.”
She hopped off the bed and picked up the collar. It really was beautiful. She could tell Scarlet had put a lot of thought into choosing it for her. Delicate and girly. It even looked like a name brand. Emotion lodged in her throat. She was the shittiest girlfriend in the world.
Eyes on Scarlet, she crawled toward her until she was kneeling in front of her. She held out the collar. “Will you please put it on me, Scarlet?”
Her lips curved into a wide smile. “Yes.” She knelt up and took the collar from Reece’s hand then fumbled with the buckle. Once it was open, she moved Reece’s hair to the side.
“Take your dress off,” she whispered.
Reece didn’t question the order. Naked felt right for this. She slipped the dress over her head and threw it on the floor.
Scarlet’s expression changed as the collar buckled into place. Gone was the satisfied grin. Now she watched her intently, her gaze focused on Reece’s neck like a predator eyeing its prey.
“There,” she said, arranging Reece’s hair around the collar. “It looks...perfect.”
As Scarlet stared at her, all admiration and love, she was struck with an overwhelming sense of devotion. Maybe it had something to do with the collar, snuggled up tightly around her neck, a constant reminder of Scarlet’s hold on her. Whatever caused it didn’t matter. Right now she wanted to belong to Scarlet – wanted to be hers forever. Her sub. Her kitten. Her wife. If she had a ring, she’d propose today.
“Is it comfortable?” Scarlet asked.
“Very.”
“Fuck. I’ll have to get you another one soon.”
“What?”
She chuckled. “It’s not supposed to be too comfortable. It’s supposed to be a reminder of who you belong to.”
“It is. Trust me.”
Scarlet’s brow creased. “Are you okay with it?”
She gave her a shaky smile. “Yes. More than I thought I would be.”
Her answering grin was contagious. After an awkward moment of grinning stupidly at each other, Scarlet gave her head a shake then ordered, “Up. Come on. I want to teach you some positions.”
Why did this feel like a homework assignment? “Positions? You know I suck at memorizing, Scarlet.”
“We’ll start with three. You can remember three, right?”
She sighed dramatically. “I guess.”
Scarlet swatted her ass. “You’re already starting on a bad note. Don’t make me spank you again. Pain seems to be the only thing to get you in the right mindset.” She stood up next to the bed and stared down at Reece. Her lips tightened and she crossed her arms, as if asserting all of her power into one heated glare. If she was going for authoritative, she nailed it. Lessons with Malachi were paying off.
Reece dropped her gaze.
“Good girl.
She was surprised to find she liked Scarlet’s praise. She felt that “good girl” right down to her toes. Maybe the collar had magical powers that transformed the wearer into an uber-sub.
“Now kneel.”
She dropped to her knees on the area rug.
“Mmm.” Scarlet slid a finger under the collar.
Reece dared a glance at her face. Her gaze was rapt, like she was relishing the sight of her. The finger disappeared and Scarlet walked off. Reece heard her rummaging through the closet then she returned, brandishing a crop.
“First position is a relaxed kneel.” She stood in front of Reece. “This is a service position. It means you’re ready and waiting for instruction. Keep your head down unless I tell you otherwise.” With the crop, she tapped her knee. “Open your legs wider.”
She did.
“Back straight,” Scarlet instructed. “Good. That pushes your tits out. Very pretty.”
A rush of warmth slid down between her legs and she had to force herself not to slump into a pile of goo on the floor.
“Put your hands on your knees, palms up.”
Though she complied, she looked up and asked, “Why palms up?”
Scarlet smirked. “So if you’re mouthy, I can do this.” The crop came down sharply on one hand.
“Ouch!” She yanked her hand away and scowled.
Scarlet arched a brow. “And if you scowl at me, I can do this.”
Reece tightened in anticipation for the crop on her other hand, but instead it landed on her pussy with a loud thwap . She howled. It stung like a bitch.
“Scarlet!” she whined.
“Shush. I barely touched you.”
The sting faded quickly and she squirmed in the position. Scarlet was looking down at her, pacing. Reading her. Heat chased through her body, like a hot flash must feel, except with more clit throbbing. It was a good thing Scarlet couldn’t read how wet she was getting from something this simple.
“Next position,” Scarlet said, swinging the crop back and forth. She looked very much like a Domme. Smug. Demanding.
Reece tried not to make a face.
“Inspection. Kneel up, put your hands behind your head.”
She complied but closed her knees to protect herself from the evil crop.
“No.” Scarlet bent down so they were eye to eye then slid two fingers under her collar and pulled her toward her face so they were inches apart. “Don’t close them, kitten.”
A whimper escaped as she opened her legs. Scarlet didn’t let her go. Instead she arched a brow, like she was waiting for something.
“Yes, Scarlet?” she guessed.
She smiled. “Good girl.”
Another flutter of pride tickled her stomach. She was making Scarlet happy. Finally pleasing her. It was the most satisfied Reece had felt in a long time.
Scarlet rose to full height then made a slow circle around Reece. She stayed still the best she could, even though it was hard. Being assessed like a piece of meat made her want to run away and hide under the blanket. Yet there was something more to it that appealed to her – now more than any other time, she was the absolute center of Scarlet’s world. A sense of peace settled inside her.
“Now punishment,” Scarlet said from behind her.
The peace turned to panic and she swung around and stared up at Scarlet in fear.
Scarlet chuckled. “Relax, kitten. I’m not going to punish you now. I just want to teach you the position for when I do.”
There was a position for that?
“Leave your hands where they are,” Scarlet instructed. “Keep your knees apart and put your forehead to the floor.”
Reece took a moment to work it out in her head. She wanted her ass up with her head on the floor? No way. A sharp sting landed on her ass. She hissed in a breath.
“Don’t think. Just do.”
Before Scarlet could land another, Reece bent over and placed her forehead on the carpet. But she sat her ass down on her heels first so she was less exposed. She had a feeling Scarlet wouldn’t let her get away with that.
“Ass up, kitten.”
She sighed then pushed up. Not only was her backside on full display, but so was her sex. Could this be any more humiliating?
A knock sounded at the door.
“Fuck,” she whispered.
“One sec,” Scarlet yelled at the door. Quieter she said, “That’s Malachi. I forgot we made plans to play video games.”
Reece sat up so fast she got a head rush. She shot Scarlet a panicked look. “Please can I put some clothes on?”
Her lips twisted in amusement. “Yes. But no underwear.”
She exhaled in relief. “Okay.”
Scarlet took a step closer, looming over her with a formidable Dom face. “Okay? Is that what you should say, little pet?”
“Oh. I mean, thank you, Scarlet.”
She nodded once. “Better. Get dressed. I’ll get the door.”
Reece didn’t need to hear it twice. She was up and dressed before Scarlet even reached the door. The baby blue flared cotton dress felt tingly against her sensitive skin. Especially rubbing against her aching ass. She felt especially naughty with no underwear on. Would Malachi notice? Ugh. Of course he would. Even she could smell the pheromones coming off of her.
Scarlet hadn’t told her what to do after she got dressed. Should she go back to kneeling? Or sit on the bed? Or maybe just stand there?
Footsteps came down the hallway. Crap. In a panic, she took a guess and arranged herself sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to look submissive and well behaved.
Malachi came in first, smiling as usual. “Hey, princess.”
Scarlet followed closely and eyed Reece. If she was displeased by her position, she didn’t show it.
“Is that a collar?” Malachi asked, frowning at her neck. Of course he’d notice that straight away.
She shrunk back from his stare.
Scarlet stepped in with a sharp voice. “Kitten, let him see how pretty you look with your new collar.”
Heat blossomed across her cheeks but she held still while he looked closer.
“You will obey him for now, like you do me,” Scarlet added. “Understand?”
It took a minute for the words to free themselves from her mouth. “Yes, Scarlet.”
Malachi’s brows shot up to his hairline. “Wow. What have you two been up to the last few days?”
“I’ll show you.” Pride radiated off of Scarlet as she stalked toward Reece. She stared down at her for a moment then turned to Malachi. “Have a seat in the arm chair.”
Scarlet was about to show her off like a circus animal. Before she could protest, a finger came under her chin. “You’re going to show him what a good girl you are now, right?”
Though her words were soft, Reece wasn’t an idiot. There was a silent threat under there. Not wanting to experience that punishment position any time soon, she slowly nodded.
Scarlet gave her a quick kiss on the lips then moved her mouth to Reece’s ear. “Make me proud.”
Way to pull on the heartstrings, dear . As if she could disobey now. Not only that, but that urge to please Scarlet and make her proud was becoming addictive.
“Come here, Reece,” Malachi said from the chair, dark and ominous. But when she turned to look at him, his eyes were sparkling with amusement.
She started to stand but Scarlet stopped her then pointed to the floor. With a sigh, she knelt on the carpet and crawled to Malachi. The friction of her thighs rubbing together and the small humiliation, made her wetter and ache to be touched. Her dress rode up, baring her thighs and ass to Scarlet behind her. At least Malachi couldn’t see it. Yet.
When she reached him, she stopped and sat on her knees.
“Show me what your Domme taught you,” he said.
She looked to Scarlet and she nodded. First position. Wanting to make Scarlet proud, even though it was humiliating, she opened her legs, pushed out her tits, rested her hands on her knees, and bowed her head. Being on her knees, nearly naked while two people were watching her, fully dressed, clicked something into place in her head. A numb sort of haze settled over her. Almost serene.
“Very nice,” he said.
Though she kept her head down, as ordered, a smile formed at the small praise. Was pleasing two Doms better than pleasing one?
“Next position, kitten,” Scarlet ordered from the bed.
She stopped thinking and just obeyed. Scarlet hadn’t told her where to look in the inspection position so she kept her gaze straight ahead, which happened to be Malachi’s shirt. It read, “I’m smiling. That alone should worry you.” It snapped her from the haze and she almost giggled.
“Any others?” Malachi asked.
A devious plan came to mind. What was sex if it wasn’t fun once in a while? Keeping a straight face, she nodded.
“Show me.”
Instead of the ass-up punishment position, she lay down on her back, opened her legs slightly, and held out her hand.
Malachi’s nose scrunched. “What position is that?”
She looked up at him, with as innocent an expression as she could muster, and said, “Hand me my vibrator position.”
He burst out laughing. She dared a glance at Scarlet, hoping she wasn’t in trouble, but Scarlet’s lips were pursed in an exaggerated attempt to hold back laughter.
“Brat,” she finally said, letting a chuckle loose. “I should make you do the punishment position just for that.”
Reece giggled then sat back up into the relaxed kneeling position. But then Malachi’s arm came around her and he lifted her onto his lap. Her ass hurt as she was forced to sit on his stupid bony knee.
When she winced, Scarlet gave her a smirk.
“I’m going to crush your legs sitting here,” she complained to Malachi.
He laughed and squeezed her leg. “Don’t bruise my ego. Your girlfriend does enough for the both of you. I’m not a dainty flower. And your ass fits perfectly right here.”
She rolled her eyes but stayed put. It’d been a long time since she’d sat on a lap. Not since she was a size eight. God, she hadn’t been below a size twelve since she was twelve.
“I’m proud of you,” he whispered in her ear. A shiver slid down her spine. “So how did Scarlet turn you into such a good girl?” As a second thought, he added, “A bratty good girl.”
She clamped her mouth shut.
Scarlet answered for her. “We had a little showdown before you got here.”
“Really?” Curiosity was evident in his voice.
“Show him,” Scarlet ordered.
She’d been afraid she’d say that. “Nooo,” she whined quietly, attempting to sound pitiful and not disobedient.
“I’m not going to say it again.”
She groaned but stood then slowly lifted her dress to bare her ass.
“Whoa,” Malachi said.
She hadn’t looked in a mirror yet but by his reaction, she guessed it was still pretty red.
“What’d you use to do this?”
“My hand,” Scarlet answered with an air of pride.
Reece yanked her skirt down then let Malachi pull her back onto his lap. “She has a damn hard hand!”
Scarlet chuckled. “From my work. Jude’s giving me a lot of hours.”
“She does have a hard hand,” Malachi agreed. “I’m impressed. We should have a contest, Scarlet.”
Reece jumped up and gasped. “No!”
They both turned their fiercest Dom faces on her. She gulped. “I mean, no, please, sirs.”
Scarlet tsked . “Not now, silly girl. I’m not cruel.” She held out her arms to Reece.
Reluctantly, she made her way to her girlfriend. She wasn’t sure which of them was safer to sit with. Having two Doms nearby was more challenging than she’d expected. At least only one was permanent.
A twinge of pain hit her in the chest as she sat on the bed next to Scarlet. She’d grown so used to Malachi hanging around – the idea of him disappearing from her life was heartbreaking.
Scarlet kissed her temple then pushed her head down so it was in her lap and she was lying across the bed. Soft fingers combed through her hair. She almost purred.
Malachi rose from the chair and approached them. In an unexpected move, he placed his hand on Scarlet’s face and gazed down at her. “I’m proud of you too.”
She stuttered awkwardly for a moment. “Uhh. Thanks.”
With a chuckle, he sat on the edge of the bed. “We need to find you a title, Scarlet,”
“What’s wrong with Sir?” Reece said. “We can be like Lucy and Peppermint Patty.”
Scarlet gave her hair a little tug. “Scarlet is fine. Mistress and Ma’am make me feel old.”
Malachi nodded. “It’s up to you. You’re the Domme.” He stared at them a moment then sighed. “I think you know that now. I guess you don’t need me anymore.”
Scarlet froze. “What?”
“What?” Reece sat up.
He gazed down at them wearing a frown then he traded it for a small smile. “Well we accomplished what we set out to do, right?” Shifting slightly, he moved his gaze to the ground. “I really enjoyed this though.”
Scarlet bit her lip and looked at Reece as if she should have an answer. All she knew was losing Malachi from their weird little world felt wrong.
“She’s still pretty bratty,” Scarlet said, putting an arm around Reece’s shoulders. “I’m not totally confident controlling her yet. Can’t you just stick around a little longer?”
That was the most pitiful excuse she’d ever heard. But... Scarlet wanted him to stay? Her gold star, afraid-of-cock girlfriend didn’t want Malachi to take a flying leap out of their lives either? Maybe she was afraid she’d lose him as a friend.
He smiled. “I’m not going to disappear. I still have to kick your ass at Call of Duty .”
Scarlet snorted. “You wish. Hey, if you played video games as well as you dommed, maybe you’d actually come close to beating me.”
“Oh, I’ll beat you all right.” His eyes turned hungry and he ran his gaze over her body.
She looked at Scarlet. A blush crept onto her cheeks. Crap. She wanted Malachi to top her again? Maybe they could keep him that way – as Scarlet’s top. If only they had something to offer him in return. Her mouth, she supposed. They could trade sexual favors. Oh god. Since when had she become willing to prostitute herself?
Scarlet’s earthy scent and warmth wrapped around her like a cocoon of protection. Reece sighed happily. She’d do anything for this girl.
Malachi reached down and grabbed Reece by the arm then pulled her to stand. “Come on, girl. I taught your Domme how to manage you, now I’m going to teach you how to shoot bad guys.”
“She won’t do it,” Scarlet said, heading toward the living room. “I’ve tried.”
“Sure I will,” Reece answered, staring up at Malachi. If she could convince him they were fun to hang out with, both of them, maybe he’d stick around.
Scarlet stopped short and frowned. “You’ll let him teach you?”
“Prom season is over. I have nothing better to do.” She smirked. “Besides, it’d be pretty satisfying to kick both your asses. The sub takes an unexpected win against two well-practiced Doms. I’ll be a hero among my kind.”
“Big words for such a little girl,” Malachi said, laughing.
She rolled her eyes. As if she were anything close to little.
Scarlet got the game set up in the living room then took her customary seat on the arm chair. Malachi took the couch then motioned to Reece.
“Come here, kitten,” he said with a smirk, patting the seat next to him. “Let’s see if there’s any bite behind all that hissing.”