Part 3 (1/2)

Now what was he going to do? You're going to get her back, that's what, a.s.shole. With your tail between your legs, you're going to formulate a plan and remind Lori Polluck who runs her world.

But first, a shower, a hotel room and something to eat. Tomorrow was soon enough.

And he needed sleep. If he could just get a few hours of sleep... But rest had largely eluded him for several months. Every time he closed his eyes, he slipped into a dark place that yanked him back to consciousness sweating and gasping for air. After seeing Lori, tonight would be no exception.

f.u.c.k. You don't even know where she lives. It wouldn't be hard to find out, but if she lived with someone, perhaps even in a relations.h.i.+p, she wouldn't take kindly to him showing up at her door.

No. He needed to do a bit of research first. It had been sheer luck the owner, Jason, hadn't been in the club tonight. If he had, he'd never have let Jude take over the way he had.

Unfortunately, Jason would also be the first person Carlton would contact with the details of tonight's escapade. Carlton was liable to sock Jude in the jaw the next time he saw him. And Jason was not going to be pleased either. Too bad for Jude, because Jason was Jude's best resource concerning Lori's state of affairs and location.

With a groan, Jude started his truck and pulled out of the parking lot. The ma.s.sive black four-by-four was the first thing he'd bought last week after returning to the States, and the only possession he had thus far.

He fingered the steering wheel pensively. Worrying isn't going to help you any. A six-pack and a crash into bed might be a start, but that's about as far as you're going to get tonight.

Lori drove, both hands gripping the steering wheel as though it were a lifeline. She hadn't made eye contact or said a word to Margaret since they'd left Emergence.

She glanced at her sub now, who sat wrapped tight inside her warm jacket and stared out the window. They'd been together for over a year. But something had happened tonight. Something that sent a chill down Lori's spine. She s.h.i.+vered.

Margaret remained speechless, which both relieved and worried Lori. She couldn't imagine what her sub must be thinking. Lori didn't know herself. Her emotions were all over the map. Her heart pounded from her reaction to the strangest encounter ever. She felt steamrolled by the Dom who had taken over her scene and left her gasping for oxygen.

Jude had s.e.x appeal no one could deny. Not even Margaret. His enormous chest alone had made Lori lick her lips, remembering the smooth feel of his skin, the firmness of his pecs.

Lori flexed and gripped the steering wheel over and over as though she were about to yank it off and toss it out the window. Doubt tightened her chest. Lori had fallen under a spell when Jude entered the room. And as hard as she tried, she couldn't shake free of that all-consuming enchantment.

She adored Margaret. Until tonight she would have said she was in love with the woman. Now she wasn't sure. She'd loved Jude with all her heart at one time. That wasn't something she could erase even with time and disappointment.

Lori had felt incredible remorse for her breach of conduct as she'd snuggled with Margaret on the couch after the flogging. Jude's words had dipped into her bloodstream and made her pant through her increased heart rate. She could still hear the timbre of his voice in her head, the same voice that had brought her to her knees many times in the past.

She squeezed her hands tighter. She needed to get a grip. Shake away whatever craziness had seeped into her system. It was ludicrous for her to l.u.s.t after Jude. He'd been gone for two years. She was a different woman.

What the h.e.l.l had Jude been thinking taking over her scene? He hadn't come to the club tonight to top Margaret. He'd come for Lori. A twinge of longing filled her chest and made her gasp.

As though in slow motion, Lori replayed the scene in her mind. She'd been so out of control while completely in control at the same time. Margaret had to be confused as h.e.l.l, but Lori couldn't bring herself to discuss the awkward elephant. She couldn't begin to articulate how she felt, let alone talk it over with her sub. And that sucked more than anything else. It wasn't fair to Margaret to leave her sitting in silence with no explanation.

Lori had never shared intimate details about her past. Margaret knew the gist of things, but not the specifics. That part of Lori's life was in the past. She'd never expected to drag those skeletons out and toss them around. Both she and Margaret had skirted the edge of certain topics about their pasts. It was understood they both had baggage.

Margaret stared out the pa.s.senger window, away from Lori. Lori swallowed around the pain she felt, knowing she was hurting Margaret.

The dark, mysterious world pa.s.sed by outside, revealing very few of its hidden secrets. Lori wanted answers to questions she was afraid to ask. She blinked, praying she'd imagined the entire evening and Jude Cavanaugh had not just waltzed into Emergence this evening and taken over as though he'd never left.

When they pulled into the garage, Lori exited the car as though she'd driven there alone. She left Margaret in the front seat and entered the kitchen through the side door. She left the door open when she pa.s.sed, trying not to be a complete b.i.t.c.h but needing s.p.a.ce and time to think.

Lori headed for the master bedroom and then made a beeline for the bathroom. She had the water running and was in the shower before Margaret stepped into the room. The first thing she needed to do before she could breathe properly was wash Jude's touch off her skin.

As she regained control over her heart rate, she could sense Margaret watching her. She stared at her sub through the gla.s.s door. Margaret dropped her jacket on a chair and peeled herself slowly out of her tight denim miniskirt and the bra she'd worn as a s.h.i.+rt. She kicked off her heels and lifted her gaze to Lori. Head held high, she padded across the room and didn't hesitate to enter the shower behind Lori.

Lori was her Domme, and they'd worked things out perfectly so that Margaret held the role of sub about fifty percent of the time, basically when they were both home and not working. However, Margaret was taller than Lori by several inches. She easily wrapped herself around Lori and pulled her body back until they both stood under the cascade of hot water nestled together.

Lori watched the steam rise as Margaret held her, feeling as though Margaret were the top and Lori the bottom. That had never been the case for a moment in their relations.h.i.+p. But Lori needed consoling, and she relaxed into Margaret's embrace.

Lori gripped Margaret's forearms where they rested under her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She held on tight, her head hanging. ”I'm so sorry. So sorry...”

Margaret kissed her temple and wiped Lori's thick red curls from her face. ”It's okay. I'm here.” Was that even a good thing? Lori gritted her teeth, afraid anything she said would hurt Margaret deeply.

Margaret rocked Lori back and forth as Lori released her tears and let them slide down her face. Margaret didn't comment. She just held her tighter.

When Lori was spent, she sucked in a long breath and forced a smile. She didn't mention the tears, but she wiggled free of Margaret's grasp, grabbed the shampoo and proceeded to squeeze a line onto her palm. ”Kneel,” she said as she nodded toward the tile.

Margaret flinched, but she did as she was told, her body conditioned to follow instructions. She kneeled on the hard floor as she had many times, and Lori worked her magic fingers into her scalp.

It felt so good to pamper her sub. Normal. Maybe she could use the daily routine as a way to apologize. When she finished, she helped Margaret stand. ”Keep your eyes closed.” It wouldn't be hard with shampoo running down her face.

Lori popped the lid of the body soap and smelled the scent of gardenias as she poured it on the loofah. Margaret moaned as Lori gently washed her body. Lori turned her around and took great care caressing the lines that stretched across her back. Normally Lori would comment on how s.e.xy they looked. Tonight she said nothing.

Lori let the loofah roam over Margaret's entire body, caressing even her intimate areas as always. Margaret gripped the wall with both hands when Lori nudged her legs apart and washed her p.u.s.s.y with precision.

”Step under the spray, pet.” Lori held Margaret's arm and angled her toward the water.

When Margaret finally opened her eyes, Lori felt more composed. Almost normal.

Lori smiled, flipped off the water and then stepped out of the shower. ”I'm exhausted.” She grabbed her favorite fluffy towel and wrapped her body in the enormous terry cloth that almost reached the floor.

Margaret followed as Lori moved through her nightly rituals, a lump in her throat making it difficult to complete her routine.

Minutes later, they climbed between the sheets.

Lori pulled Margaret to her chest and held her, stroking her hair, tangling her fingers in the wet locks.

”Do you want to talk about it?” Margaret finally asked.

Minutes pa.s.sed. Lori closed her eyes and pondered the question.

Chapter Three.

Lori's brain ran a mile a minute. She couldn't find the words to express what she didn't understand herself. It was late, three in the morning. But she wasn't tired and she knew Margaret wasn't sleeping either.

She needed to open up and spill some of her past. It was the only way. Words she'd never wanted to speak, ones that had no business ever leaving her lips, had to escape. The damage was done. There was no other option that would be fair to Margaret.

Lori licked her lips and steadied her hand in Margaret's hair, holding her lover to her shoulder. Maybe if she didn't have to look her in the eye, it would be easier to talk.

”He was my Dom.”

Margaret didn't move or speak, bless her. The only sign she was awake was the way she stroked Lori's belly with the hand she'd flung across her.

”I lived under Jude's charge for two years. He was my...everything.” There was no sense sugarcoating it. ”I thought...I thought I would be with him for the rest of my life. He's very...overwhelming.”