Page 24 of Healing the Heart

Her comment totally killed the mood, and the awkward silence and sad looks returned.

“Eric said he wants to approve any potential match for you. He feels terrible that he let it happen on his watch.”

“It’s not his fault,” Fiona insisted. “Jordan was a member for two years and had everyone fooled.”

“That’s what I told him. I also reminded him that sociopaths can be charming.” When a woman walked up and started flipping through an adjacent rack, Val and Esme moved closer. “As word got out about the incident, other subs have come forward. None were as severe as yours, but things that freaked them out enough to safeword or not accept offers to play with him a second time have surfaced.”

“Basically, he was a sadist but not a dominant. Keiran says there are several like that at the club, but they disclose they’re only into causing pain and respect limits. Unlike...” Esme shuddered. “Let’s just refer to him as he who shall remain nameless.”

“Or not at all,” Val suggested. “The good news is that he’s gone for good. Tossed out on his ass.”

“Which is why you should come back to the club and give our service a try,” Esme urged. “It hasn’t even been a month yet, and we’ve matched five couples.”

“This time, you’ll have us as wing men,” Val pressed. “If you’re submissive and kinky, you can’t face a lifetime of vanilla. You’ll go mad from boredom. I know because I lived it.”

“And, if you don’t try,” Esme espoused, “you may find, ten or twenty years from now, you regret it. Then it will be even harder finding the dom of your dreams.”

Looking at their expectant faces, Fiona sighed. These persistent women would probably hound her constantly if she said no. Besides, she’d had the same arguments with herself for weeks.

“Okay. I’ll give it one more try, except...”

“Oh no,” Esme groaned. “Except is almost as bad as a but.”

“Lay it on me. What’s wrong now?” Val asked.

“My membership expired, and I really can’t afford another full year only to have it go south again.”

“Eric will waive that,” she declared.

“Shouldn’t you discuss it with him first?”

“No. He’ll agree,” she declared with unshakable confidence.

“Wow, he must really feel guilty.”

“You have no idea,” Val muttered, her voice filled with concern for her husband. “He has a protective streak longer than the Rio Grande. He takes his responsibility to the members seriously, especially the uncollared submissives. It’s like they’re his own, which is why the incident with Jordan—”

“Uh, uh,” a frowning Esme interrupted.

“Excuse me, why the incident withhe who shall remain nameless,” she restated, “bothers him so. That even with theextensive prescreening and background checks they do, he somehow fell through the cracks.”

“Keiran feels the same way. He told me his men are determined to get it locked down though.”

“I’ve been the topic of conversation a lot, huh?”

“Yeah. Sorry,” Val said, giving her a sympathetic look.

“I’ll email you the questionnaire, then?” Esme asked, brimming with excitement.

“And when we have the results,” Val stated, without waiting for her answer. “I’ll follow up with who, when, and where.”

“You’re five for five, you say?”

“Yes.” She grinned. “Not bad, considering we’re just getting started.”

“Let’s hope I don’t break your streak.”

“None of that negative talk. It’s self-defeating,” Val chided gently. “And most of us girls don’t need help with that.”

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