Page 53 of Donovan's Men

“Fair enough. I want you to stay, but as Tyson said, you’re free to leave at any time. This entire relationship is based on free will. Okay? For all of us. You choose to walk away, and there are no recriminations. You don’t want to do something? Just say so. I’ll never coerce—”

Tyson snickered.

Donovan gave him a long stare. Then pivoted his attention back to me. “We’re consenting adults. In every relationship I’ve ever had—and there’ve been more than a few—consent was always front and center. Always.” He said the word with emphasis.

I cleared my throat. “How many relationships are we talking about?” He was just thirty-two. Although, these days, that meant little. “Oh, never mind. None of my business.”

Donovan reached over and placed his hand over mine.

I startled at the contact.This is so wrong…and yet so right.

The pads of his fingers were rough compared to what I knew was my smooth skin. He worked with his hands all day while my greatest exertion was typing on the keyboard.

“You deserve honesty.” He squeezed my hand. Then he cut Tyson a glance before turning his attention back to me. “Actual romantic relationships? Very few. But people I’ve played with? Many, many, many.”

“Oh.”Right. Played. BDSM. Stay cool and pretend like this happens all the time.Having my bosses in a BDSM relationship should’ve prepared me for this moment—but it hadn’t.

“If this conversation makes you uncomfortable—” Tyson met my gaze.

I shook my head. “I’ve counseled people in the lifestyle. Another triad, for example.”

“The multinational one?” Donovan smiled.

Crap.

“It’s okay.”

I cocked my head.

“I know Kimberly, MacKenzie, and Joaquin.”

My jaw dropped.

Donovan chuckled. “Club Kink isn’t that big of a place. Cole knows them as well.”

I closed my eyes to block out the monumental breach of privacy I’d created.

He shrugged. “Kimberly, in a moment of Doms and Dommes talking, said she’d spoken to someone in counseling. At the men’s insistence. Because they were worried about how she might view their moving to Canada with very little fuss.” He scratched his stubble. “We pointed out that the political climate in both the men’s home countries could be dicey. Now, is Vancouver colder than Buenos Aires and Texas? Sure. Are the men the happiest they’ve ever been? Yes to that as well. Look, I never mentioned Club Kink—because I didn’t want to freak you out. So you had no way of knowing I was acquainted with them. I think you were merely pointing out that triads can work. You reassured Cole and Caressa. And Michael. Which, I assumed, was your intent.”

Making it clear the four of them had discussed not only my visit but the content of what I’d said. “I’d still appreciate if you didn’t say this to anyone else.”

“Of course.”

“I won’t either.” Tyson took my other hand and squeezed it. His fingertips were smoother than Donovan’s—but still rough tothe touch. “Look…a momentary indiscretion isn’t the end of the world. I’ve found people in the BDSM community are generally open about their relationship.”

“I doubt their employers know.” I swallowed hard.

“And none of us are going to tell them. So lesson learned.”

Is it really that simple? My guard’s down with these two. And apparently, with Cole and Caressa as well.God only knew what I’d say to Michael when I finally met him. Well,ifI ever met him.

Tyson’s gaze strayed to Donovan. “So are you going to share?”

Donovan cleared his throat. “I’m a Dominant. I like to have people surrender to me. But as I said, always consensually. The scene, or relationship, isn’t fun if both people aren’t consenting and things aren’t negotiated.” He squeezed my hand again. “And I’ve had plenty of partners. We call those participantsbottomsorsubmissives.”

I forced out a laugh. “Even I know that much.”Barely. But he doesn’t need to know that.“You’re proposing I, uh, submit to you?”

“He’s proposing we both submit to him.” Tyson chuckled. “I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen.”