Page 27 of Desire

But just then, Dante strode out and sat at Kiki’s table. Jealousy stabbed through Emma again, this time with traces of hurt. Emma tried to focus on the snack, but the sight of them together ate away at her confidence. The more she watched, the more she felt like an outsider looking in, unsure of her place in this world or in Dante’s life.

“I’m done,” Ezina said, and scooted out of her chair. “Toby time.”

Emma’s gaze flitted back to Dante and Kiki, watching as they conversed with ease. Well, now Emma wanted to stick around and eavesdrop. But Ezina wasn’t about to be stopped since that Toby the Train was on the agenda. As Emma hurried after the toddler, she saw Kiki put her hand on Dante’s arm and throw her head back and laugh.

It shouldn’t have stung as much as it did.

Once they were back in Colleen’s office, Ezina brought Emma a handful of books. After reading several adventures of Toby, Ezina started getting bored. But by that time, Tee, Colleen, and Anya had come back from their meeting. Istvahn was with them.

“We’re going to take Ezina for the rest of the day,” Tee said. “We’re heading out to the zoo.”

“It’s a nice day for it,” Emma said, both a little sad and relieved to see Ezina go.

Luckily, Colleen and Anya had a list of vendors they needed her to call to confirm shipments, so it kept her busy. Emma was still distracted enough about Dante and Kiki that she called the same vendor twice.

This was crazy. She needed to talk to Dante.

No. She needed Master Dante.

Before she could second-guess herself, Emma pulled up his dungeon schedule. He had an opening tomorrow night. Emma’s fingers trembled as she hovered over the keyboard, the cursor blinking on the screen like a silent dare. She knew it was a risk, knew that scheduling a session with Dante could change everything between them if he recognized that Queen Mab was her. But she needed to see him, be with him again. But some deeper part of her, some longing she could neither sate nor silence, had taken the wheel.

With a deep breath and a silent prayer, Emma entered her alter ego’s name into the system, requesting a session with Dante. Her heart raced as she hit send, the reality of what she had just done washing over her in a dizzying wave. There was no turning back now, no way to undo the choice she had just made.

As she waited for his response, Emma’s mind spun with a kaleidoscope of images, each one more tantalizing than the last. She imagined herself kneeling at Dante’s feet, his hand fisted in her hair as he commanded her to serve him. She pictured the heat of his gaze on her skin, the sting of his palm against her flesh as he punished her for her transgressions. And she felt the thrill of surrender, the intoxicating rush of giving herself over to his control, body and soul.

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness, each second an eternity as Emma waited for Dante’s reply. She tried to focus on her work, on the endless parade of emails and schedules that demanded her attention, but her mind kept drifting back to him, to the promise of what the night might hold.

And then, just as she thought she might go mad with waiting, a message appeared on her screen. Emma’s heart stopped as she clicked on it, her breath catching in her throat as she read the words that would seal her fate.

Dante had accepted her request. The session was on.

She was lost in anticipation when a few minutes later, her computer binged that a new email had come to the Queen Mab email address that she had set up. It was from Dante. The subject line said: Instructions for Tomorrow. Eagerly, she clicked it open.

No mask.

Underwear is optional.

---