Page 112 of Lesson In Honesty

With definite care, he tucked himself back into his boxer-briefs, wincing slightly. As he zipped his pants back up, he shook his head. “Pixie, you just opened a whole can of something else with that stunt. Forget amends, you’ll be paying penance tonight.”

“Did you not enjoy your blowjob?” she asked innocently.

He bent and hooked a hand under her arm, pulling her to her feet. Tenderly, he wiped the smears of his seed from her mouth and chin with a tissue he pulled from his pocket. Insteadof answering the question, he just jerked his chin toward the counter window. “You have a visitor.”

She whirled with a frown, relieved to see Mistress Violet standing on the other side. God, what was she thinking, blowing Mack when anyone could’ve walked up and seen them?

Sex club, she reminded herself. Voyeurism and exhibitionism were nothing new here.

Reaching for her water, Sierra uncapped the bottle and drank, swishing water around her mouth in what she hoped was an unobvious move. She swallowed with a grimace, realizing the back of her throat and her jaws were tender. “Mistress Violet. How can I help you?”

The Domme smiled as though she’d seen nothing; they all knew that was a lie. “One of the maids took delivery of a package for you, sweetheart. She brought it here seeing as no one was in the cabin.” Lifting a rather large box onto the counter, she patted her hand on it. “I wasn’t sure if it was personal or Sanctuary business.”

A package? She hadn’t ordered anything, had she? No, she was sure she hadn’t indulged in any late night shopping sprees, and there was nothing she needed.

“Thank you.” Perplexed, Sierra ripped the envelope with her name on it off the side of the box, shuddering at the noise the tape made. “I’d ask if you’re sure it’s mine, but it must be.”

She flipped the envelope over in her fingers, assessing what was inside. Not a letter, it was too rectangular and thick. Slipping a finger under the flap, she opened it and found a small card with Alicia and her family on the front.

To our missing sister, Sierra,

Do not open this package in front of anyone.

After our last conversation, we figured we need to initiate Operation Prankster, and this is your time to shine as a brat in the making.

We love you. We miss you.

Alicia and Anarchy

Oh God, she missed them too. They were the best kind of trouble, always pranking their Doms—which was brave of Anarchy, seeing as Jasper was a serious kind of sadist. She missed him too, even if he did scare the bejesus out of her.

Pressing the card to her heart, she sniffled and made a mental note to call them, just to hear their voices. Maybe if she called the club later, Zeke could put them all on conference call.

Shaking off the homesickness, she leaned into Mack when he came up behind her, his arms wrapping her in a hug. She missed her friends, she reminded herself, but if Liam had turned down this opportunity, they wouldn’t be here making new friends, and they wouldn’t have Mack.

“Everything okay, pixie? For a minute there, you looked like you were grieving.” He kissed the top of her head.

She exhaled softly, grateful for him. “Everything is just how it’s supposed to be, Master Mack. Sometimes I forget that while we’re here, our old life is carrying on without us.”

“You miss your friends.”

“Yeah. But we’ve got new ones who are just as important.” Turning in his arms, she looked up at him. “Ones who are just as necessary.”

He smiled and kissed her. “I like being necessary to you. Want me to carry the box home, pixie?”

Warmth filled her. The only way this moment could be any better was if Liam was here to share it. She loved how they all clicked into a happily-functioning family unit without friction or underlying mistrust.

“No peeking?” she asked suspiciously.

“Well, you’re coming with me, so there’ll be no peeking.”

“I have work to do.” She really wanted to get started on that pretty dragon. Already, she had the repairs in her head along with a couple of upgrades.

“Gonna fight me on it, pixie?”

“Mack—”

“That’s a yes.” Tsking softly, he picked up the keys still on the counter and tossed them at Violet. “Can you lock up for me, please?”

---