“You see? I know you like to deal with your problems by yourself, but you’re only human. You need to make sure your needs are met in any relationship.”
“What Ruby and I have hardly counts as a relationship.”
“She’s your submissive, isn’t she?” Madison asked.
“Yes, but that’s all. I’m paying her to play my wife. I have no feelings toward her.”
“No feelings? Yvonne, you’re not that heartless.”
“Fine, I care about her. Of course I do. But not in the way you’re suggesting.”
Madison studied Yvonne’s face. “Did it ever occur to you that you’re experiencing this drop for the first time because this is the first time you’ve had a submissive you actually care about? Having that genuine connection really heightens everything. It makes all those feelings and emotions that come with BDSM play even more intense.”
Was there some truth to what Madison was saying? Normally, Yvonne kept herself emotionally detached when it came to these kinds of relationships. They were physical and psychological, nothing more. But she couldn’t deny the connection she felt with Ruby. With Ruby, Yvonne found it easier than ever to let go, to lose herself in the sensual experience they were sharing.
However, that didn’t mean there was anything romantic there. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have those kinds of feelings toward Ruby,” Yvonne said. “I care about her as my submissive. That’s all.”
“If you say so,” Madison murmured.
Yvonne narrowed her eyes. “You were never this smug until you and Blair got engaged.”
“What can I say?” Madison’s expression grew wistful. “Love changes a woman.”
Yvonne resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Since Madison and Blair had gotten together, Madison had gone from being just as disinterested in relationships as Yvonne to being completely lovesick. Although Yvonne was happy that Madison had found love, one of the irritating side effects of Madison’s transformation was that she kept trying to fix everyone else’s love lives. Yvonne’s love life didn’t need fixing. She didn’t have one to begin with. She wasn’t interested in relationships. She was perfectly happy being alone. She’d been alone her entire life, so she was used to it. It was easier that way.
But wasn’t she happier now that Ruby was in her life?
“While we’re on the subject, is Ruby coming to the wedding?” Madison asked.
“I haven’t asked her yet,” Yvonne said. Would Ruby be able to handle such a task? Playing happily married couple for a handful of Yvonne’s friends at a club was one thing, but the wedding of Madison Sloane, the billionaire founder of Mistress Media, was a huge event. There would be hundreds of people there. “I’ll talk to her and get back to you. Now, let’s get started with this wedding business. What do you need my help with?”
Chapter 16
“God,” Brooke said. “I’m so relaxed I could drown.”
Ruby murmured in agreement, breathing in all the scents wafting up from the spa they were sitting in. She wasn’t quite sure what was in the water, but it included tea, flowers, and all kinds of heavenly things. Between the spa she was soaking in and the earlier massage and body scrub, Ruby was feeling more relaxed than she thought possible.
Brooke turned to her. “Thanks again for inviting me. We’re long overdue for a catch up. Plus, this place is incredible. I could never afford to come here myself.”
“It’s no problem,” Ruby replied. “I wanted to see you.”
“How can you even afford somewhere as fancy as this?” Brooke asked. “No offense, but the last I heard, you were waitressing in Vegas. That was years ago. You kind of dropped off the radar there.”
Ruby felt a pang of guilt. “I know. I’m sorry about that.” She and Brooke had been close as kids. With four brothers, Ruby had appreciated having another girl around growing up. But Ruby had lost touch with her cousin in recent years. She’d lost touch with everyone, from her family to her friends. Her last client, who she refused to think of as an ex, had isolated her from them, slowly, without her noticing until it was too late.
But that was all behind her now. It was time Ruby started rebuilding her life.
“For what it’s worth, I’ve really missed you,” she said.
“It’s okay,” Brooke said. “I get it. Life happens. And I’ve missed you too.” She smiled. “So, what’s the deal? You’re obviously doing well for yourself these days.”
“I’m not waitressing anymore. I got married, actually.” Ruby hadn’t had a chance to tell Brooke about Yvonne yet. They’d been too busy getting pampered.
“Seriously? When?”
“It’s kind of a recent thing.”
“Wow,” Brooke said. “Congrats. Who’s the lucky gal or guy?”
“Her name’s Yvonne. We met while I was… waitressing.”
“Ooh, don’t tell me. She’s totally loaded?” Brooke wasn’t exactly tactful.
Ruby shrugged. “Something like that.”
“Wow. So you bagged yourself a rich wife. I want to hear all about it. Start from the beginning.”
Ruby took a deep breath and began telling Brooke the fake story of how she and Yvonne had met. This time, she found herself embellishing the details, spinning a tale far more romantic than the reality. It came easily to her. Lately, Ruby had found herself fantasizing about her relationship with Yvonne, wondering what it would be like if everything between them was real. What if Yvonne had picked Ruby up at work one night, swept her off her feet, fallen madly in love with her? What if the two of them had truly gotten married and moved in together, living the perfect, happy life that they pretended to share?
Of course, Yvonne’s idea of a perfect marriage probably involved handcuffs and collars, but Ruby was starting to feel like that was her idea of a perfect relationship too. What was more romantic than surrendering oneself to someone as deeply as Ruby was to Yvonne? What was more intimate than trusting someone so completely?
“Wow,” Brooke said, once Ruby was finished. “That’s like something from a movie. Your family must be so happy. I’m surprised
