The trip to Esoteria was accomplished in a weighty silence. Once Dane parked in front of the club, both men looked at her, their expressions serious.
“Thank you for a wonderful weekend,” she said, blinking to keep her tears hidden.
How was she supposed to go back to her lonely, work-filled world now? She’d visited paradise and now had to walk away from it.
“Thank you for being such a wonderfully responsive subbie. Any time you want to play again, you know where we are.” Dane said.
Couldn’t she just check in with Jenna and Taurus and then follow them home again?
“Um, okay, I will.” Sloan fumbled with the door handle before it released, and she climbed out.
She closed the car door and waited for them to drive away. But the SUV didn’t drive away immediately. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the two men watching her intently. So they were gentlemen on top of everything else. With a sad sigh, she turned and headed for the club entrance. She wanted to throw herself in front of the vehicle and beg them to keep her, but they had only agreed to the weekend. It was time for her to return to her own life.
Pushing through the front door of Esoteria, she was surprised to find Taurus and Jenna standing just on the other side.
“We were beginning to worry about you,” Jenna said as she hugged her.
Once the woman released her, Taurus took control, holding her at arm’s length as he critically looked her up and down. “Are you all right?” He frowned when a single tear escaped her control to track down her right cheek.
“I’m fine,” Sloan lied. “It was an incredible weekend, but now it’s over.”
Taurus frowned but didn’t comment. Instead, he pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her. She shook like a malaria victim but focused on taking deep breaths. It was an effort, but she forced down the pain and sadness and love until she could think. How had she walked away from the best thing that had ever happened to her?
When she regained control, she lifted her head and pulled back. Thankfully, Taurus let her go.
“You want me to pay the bums a visit?” he asked in his best 1940s gangster imitation.
“No, Taurus. I want you to take me upstairs so I can change my clothes and go home.” Sloan tried to smile, but the effort fell flat.
“All right, but if you want me to beat them up, just let me know.” Taurus wrapped one arm around her and kissed her hair. They followed Jenna through the empty club to their private elevator.
Fifteen minutes later, after declining food, a night’s lodging, and the promised money for her time, Sloan walked out the service entrance alone. She climbed into her car wearing the jeans and Outer Banks T-shirt she’d worn to the club. It felt strange to wear her own clothes again, to drive her own car, to not have a man touching her in some way, even if it was just fingers combing through her hair or a hand resting on her thigh.
Though it had been only forty-eight hours, her weekend as a submissive changed her. Now she just had to figure out how to survive the rest of her life without Master and Sir.
* * * *
Merlin dropped his shoulders to the bed and relaxed his ass as Dane pushed his cock past the first ring of muscle. “I miss her. A lot.”
It had been six and a half days since they’d dropped Sloan off at Esoteria’s front door, and he wanted her back. Back in their lives, back in their bed, back in their arms.
“I miss her, too,” Dane admitted as he eased deeper. “I really thought she’d come by or call before now.”
“So what are we going to do about it?” Merlin looked over his shoulder at the man he loved more than life. “We both love her, right?”
“Yes.”
“We both want her here with us, right?” His words became breathless as Dane filled him to capacity.
“Yes.” Dane nodded as he canted his hips, trying to push his cock even deeper.
“We want to make her a part of our family, right?”
“Yes.” Dane leaned over until he could kiss Merlin’s neck.
“So why didn’t we tell her? Why did we let her walk away? Mmm, that feels so good.” He wiggled his hips. “Fuck me, Master. Fuck me hard and fast.”
Dane didn’t answer his questions until he fucked Merlin into silence and then to orgasm. It was a fast, hard fuck, and he followed Merlin over the peak before collapsing on him. They rolled together so they lay on the bed still connected. Only after he’d caught his breath did Dane finally answer.
“We let her go because she needed time to process. We showed her a whole new lifestyle, one very different than she’s used to. She has to make the next move, pet. All we can do is be patient.”
“But what if she doesn’t come back?” Merlin heard himself whining, but he missed his angel.
Dane didn’t answer at first. “You did give her one of your business cards, right?”
“No, I thought you did.”
“Shit.”
Merlin moaned when Dane jerked from his ass and rolled away. Knowing his Dom was now on a mission, he followed him into the bathroom to the shower. Five minutes later, they were clean, almost dry, and dressing.
“So where do we start?” Merlin asked as he zipped his blue jeans and then pulled a white T-shirt over his head.
Dane wore the same thing in black. “We start at the beginning. Esoteria. Taurus and
