“Daddy!” In the backseat, Ana perked up when she saw Marcus standing in the driveway. As soon as Rae parked the car, Ana scrambled out of it, wincing when she moved a little too quickly, causing all the adults to wince too. “Daddy!”
“Hey there, who’s my brave girl?” Marcus asked, giving her a huge hug and picking her up in his arms. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to be at the hospital with you.”
“That’s okay.” Ana leaned her head against his shoulder, yawning again. “Mommy was there. And Murse Mitch.”
Rae snickered as Domi winced. Marcus just looked amused. He didn’t realize the significance of Ana’s statement. Ack. She wondered how long it would take for Ana to reveal Murse Mitch was Mommy’s ‘friend.’
Why did that make her feel guilty?
“Let’s get you inside, peanut,” Domi said, reverting to the nickname they’d used for Ana when she was a baby. Revealing just how tired she was, Ana didn’t protest the endearment. She stayed cuddled up against her Daddy, who carried her in.
Turning, she saw Jordan and Karen peering out of their front door.
“I’ll go update them,” Rae said, giving Domi a little push to follow Marcus and Ana. “You go talk to Marcus.”
Sighing, Domi did as she was told. They got a yawning Ana settled into her bed, where she fell asleep almost immediately, then Domi took Marcus to the kitchen to explain exactly how everything had happened and what the doctor had said. She glossed over Mitch’s presence, causing Rae to give her a look since she had joined them by then.
Whatever.
She didn’t feel like explaining Mitch to Marcus. It wasn’t as though he was going to be around, anyway. The encounter with Mitch was probably the only one Ana would ever have.
Too bad, a little voice whispered in her mind. She liked him. He was good with her. You need a guy like that.
Yeah, one who actually wants a relationship.
Which was not what Mitch wanted.
“How’s Julia doing?” Domi asked to change the subject.
“Better.” Marcus perked up. “The anti-nausea meds seem to be working well. She’s eating again and has more energy. If this keeps up and Julia feels up to it, do you think Ana could spend the weekend with us?”
Technically, Ana was supposed to be at Marcus and Julia’s right now, then coming back to Domi’s tomorrow, which was Saturday. The tug to be with her baby all weekend and watch over her and her arm was strong, but she knew Marcus would be feeling that same tug, especially since Ana had gotten hurt on her watch.
“Yes, of course,” she made herself say, her stomach only twisting a little. It’s not like Marcus hadn’t wanted to spend his full week with Ana.
“I don’t blame you, Domi.” Leaning over the table, Marcus put his hand over hers, his expression earnest. “It was an accident. They happen.”
The little twist in her gut relaxed a little, and she managed to smile back at him. He really was a great guy. Steady. Reliable. Kind. The kind of man she should have feelings for… if she was going to have feelings for a guy. Not a commitment-phobe fuck buddy. No matter how great he’d been in a crisis.
Mitch
Feeling even more tired than usual but also extremely satisfied with himself, Mitch headed home, Domi and her daughter foremost in his mind the entire way. Ana was an extremely cute miniature version of her mom, with the same energy and sass. He’d wondered where Ana’s dad was but hadn’t felt it was his place to ask.
Did he want it to be his place?
That was the question.
He and Domi had always gotten along well at the club. That had never been a problem. But how did he know whether he wanted more?
He missed her.
His friends all called the end of their arrangement a breakup.
But what did it all really mean?
The question plagued him all the way home, then out to Stronghold, where he was meeting up with the guys.
“Mitch. Earth to Mitch. Come in, Mitch.” Brian waved a hand in front of Mitch’s face, making him jerk back in surprise. “You okay, man?”
“Yeah. Yeah, just tired. It was a long day.” Mitch shook his head as if he was trying to shake away thoughts of Domi, not exactly something easy to do in Stronghold, even when she wasn’t there. He didn’t expect her to show up tonight.
“Are you gonna go play?” Zach asked, tipping his beer bottle toward the Lounge area, where the unattached submissives were gathered. He was leaning on the bar table next to Kincaid. The two of them were standing so close, they were almost touching, but not quite. The energy coming off them was almost enough to distract Mitch from his own thoughts.
Mitch glanced over at the subbies.
Any one of them could do a scene with him, scream for him, come for him.
It wouldn’t be the same.
The whisper threaded through his mind, and his chest tightened. Dammit. He didn’t want any of them. He wanted Domi.
“Hmmm, looks like Mitch is feeling conflicted.” A little smile on his lips, Zach half-turned to address the woman at one of the tables behind him. “Hey Sharon, what’s that term you use when a man whore starts wanting only one woman?”
“Magic pussy?” The petite sub half-pulled away from her boyfriend, whose arm was wrapped possessively around her, her eyes lighting up with interest. “Oooh, who got magic pussied?! Is it Mitch? Does Domi have the magic pussy?”
Her boyfriend,
