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Chris forcibly tried to rein in his emotions. “Nice? That’s all you can say? Really, Kate?” Chris gritted his teeth and hoped he hadn’t broken a molar. The best sex of his life, and it had been ‘nice’ for her?
She lifted one shoulder to her ear but refused to look him in the eye.
Scott sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Great,” he muttered, “couples counseling on my day off. Give me a violent vet with PTSD any day.”
“There’s nothing to counsel, Scott, we’re not a couple.” Kate’s voice was lifeless, her eyes dull. Was she as tired as he was?
“Hush, Kate.” Scott tilted his head down while he made eye contact with her. “You’ll get your chance to speak, but for now the two of you are going to listen.”
Chris had been called to the principal’s office in high school when he and James changed the timers on the garden sprinklers at school. They’d noticed their English teacher used the shortcut through the grass instead of taking the extra steps on the sidewalk. The same teacher had reported multiple students for doing the exact same thing. He and James had figured it was appropriate retribution, but the principal had given them detention anyway.
“Chris, are you listening?” Scott’s question reached through his memory and pulled him back to the present.
“Yes, Scott. Sorry. You reminded me of somebody.” Chris couldn’t contain his smirk.
“As I was saying”—Scott emphasized the words with a stern gaze—“you two have been circling around each other for months, if not years. Apparently, you did something about it last week.” Scott shot a stern look at Kate as she opened her mouth and continued before she could interrupt. “Some of us have been talking about starting a pool on when you would act on the crazy attraction between you.”
Kate looked over to Scott with an open mouth.
“Come on, Kate. You’re not the only Domme/Dom couple in the world. You can work around it. If you want to.”
Chris cocked his head as he considered Scott’s words. They were correct, of course—he hadn’t been dominant that night. Hadn’t wanted to be the Top. He’d never enjoyed bottoming during his training, but he liked submitting to Kate. He needed to talk about this, but now was not the time or the place. He narrowed his eyes at the bearded figure who stood over them. Scott was a switch. Chris rubbed the back of his neck.Not only a switch but also a therapist. If anyone is going to understand me, it’s him.
CHAPTER FIVE
Four months had passed since the wedding and their one-night stand, and Chris was no closer to Kate than when Scott had handed them their asses. He sat alone at Club Indigo’s bar and had no interest in playing or even talking with a submissive. At the other end of the bar, Jackson sat with a glum expression. Did the other Dom have woman troubles, too? Scott watched him from behind the bar, his usual spot this time of night, and after a few minutes, approached. “What can I get you?”
“Nothing to drink. Can I ask you a question?” Chris couldn’t shake the tense feeling. Would Scott agree to help him?
“Sure thing, what’s up?” Scott leaned forward and braced an elbow on the bar top.
Chris opened his mouth, closed it again, and drew random patterns in the wetness his beer had left.
“Do you want to make an appointment?” Scott pressed his lips in a fine line and looked around the bar for possible eavesdroppers. “There’s no one here.”
Chris rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess.” He shiftedhis weight. “I…” He sighed and looked Scott straight in the eyes. “Can you tell me about switching?”
“So that’s what this is about.” Scott straightened. “It’s taken you long enough,” he teased, narrowing his eyes. “It’s a very broad question, and I could go on for hours. Care to be more specific?”
Chris closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. “Okay, it’s like this. I never considered bottoming myself, not when I was training or any other time. I was always the Top and expected to stay that way. But my experience with Kate was spectacular. I submitted to her completely, and I didn’t think twice about it.”
If Scott had an opinion, he didn’t voice it. How to broach the subject? What to say? He squinted at Scott, but the guy had on his poker face—or was it his therapist face?Fuck!Chris forced the words out. “How do you decide if you’re going to Top or bottom?”
Scott was silent for so long Chris wasn’t sure he was going to answer. “I’m not exactly sure. I don’t think it’s something I decide because that would mean it’s a conscious thing. It’s not. For me submitting or dominating depends on the partner I’m with. It also has to do with my mood and how my day went.”
“So, the person you’re with makes the most difference?” Chris inquired.
Scott merely inclined his head.
“Does it seem strange to you that I want to submit to Kate?”
“Not at all! She’s a hell of a woman and a force of nature as a Domme. I’ve enjoyed playing with her on numerous occasions.”
Scott’s rapid reply instigated a burning sensation in his chest. His jealousy must have shown on his facebecause Scott held his hands in front of him in a placating gesture.
“I’m not involved with the woman, and I won’t ever be.”
He let out the breath he’d been holding, and the burning subsided. “I know, it’s just…”
