Page 113 of Healing the Heart

Val reached out to stroke his arm.

“And you!” Eric exclaimed, shaking it off. “You’ve gone as rogue as him. When we get home, expect to experience a little bleed-over.”

Noah didn’t know exactly what that meant but he could guess. They weren’t master and slave, even though Val called him that most often, but he was the master dom for a reason and no doubt had limits to what he’d put up with from his subbie wife in day-to-day life.

Val didn’t seem overly concerned. She murmured, “Yes, master,” then twisted in her seat again. “I’ll find another lifestyle-friendly therapist while you’re gone. Do you prefer a man or a woman?”

“Surprise me. But I have a question for you, as a woman and a submissive.”

“Ask me anything.”

“How do I win her back?”

“You’ve dug a deep hole for yourself. I spoke with Lexie, and these few weeks haven’t been easy on her. The apology you mentioned is a good start. But while you’re on your knees, a little groveling wouldn’t hurt.”

“Valerie!”

She swung her head toward him so fast, her ponytail swished around her shoulders. “What? It worked on you when I screwed up so badly early on.”

“After I spanked you—hard,” he reminded her. Eric’s eyes met his again. “Is that on the table?”

“I’m no switch, but I really fucked this up. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Val’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “I don’t know. A heartfelt apology on your knees, yes. If she makes you sweat a little while doing it, even better. But Fiona isn’t the type to relish bending you over her knee, even if you broke her heart. That’s just not... No.”

Eric reached over and squeezed her thigh. “I get where you’re coming from. You and Fiona aren’t switches, either. What if she enlisted a domme to do it, or a master who was willing?”

“Now that’s a thought.”

Noah leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, listening to them plot his punishment with more relish than he would have preferred. With the master dom and the subbie guardian combining forces, his ass didn’t stand a chance.

If it got Fiona back in LA, in his arms, his bed, and his life—this time permanently—as he said, everything was on the table.

First, he had to convince her to forgive him, and prove that giving him a second shot, after fucking up worse than ever in his adult life, was worth it.

RECLINED ON A CUSHIONEDlounger, the sun streaming in through the windows of the solarium, Fiona hoped its rays and the boost of vitamin D it would give her might pull her out of her funk. She doubted it, but she had to try something. Having her moping around the house and bursting into tears every other minute was probably getting really old for Lexie and Jonas atthis point. After all, it had been twenty-three days since she’d arrived in San Antonio, a pathetic weeping mess.Her memories following the slamming of the door were foggy, and she still wasn’t sure how she’d gotten there.

With her butt and legs half asleep from sitting on the unyielding hardwood for two hours, Fiona staggered down the hall. Halfway to the living room she had to sidestep a bunch of debris on the floor. Squinting at it through bleary eyes, she saw white powder and chunks of what looked like sheet rock.

When she switched on the light, she saw it was sheet rock from the fist-sized hole Noah had punched in the wall. It explained the loud bang, but not his reasoning. He wanted her gone, and she was going.

Utterly lost and never more miserable, Fiona retrieved her phone and called the only person she could rely on in the world.

It rang twice before Lexie answered.

With tears pouring down her face, Fiona choked out, “I n-need my b-best friend.”

She didn’t hesitate a fraction of a second before asking, “When does your flight get in?”

“I haven’t gotten that far.”

“Book it and text me the details.”

“Thanks, Lex.”

“Don’t even,” she replied. “Just tell me one thing.”

“What?” she said with a shuddering breath.

---