Page 107 of Lesson In Faith

Following the direction of his stare, Ford came to an accurate conclusion. “They’re your next clients for the evening.”

Yes, they were, and his sub was still floating on cloud nine.Dilemmadidn’t really cover the situation.

“Relax, Merrick, we have it under control. Eli and Evander thought you’d get sucked into your girl; they sent Mack to cover my shift at the Nursery so I can cover your ass for an hour. I didn’t bullshit you about Sierra’s project,” he added with a chuckle. “That’s just a side benefit. Go take Tamsyn somewhere quiet and treat her like a princess. I’ll send someone to the anteroom with your clothes.”

“I appreciate the gesture, Ford, but this couple is hardcore.”

“Are you saying I’m not?” He pressed his hand to his heart dramatically. “I’m wounded. My job here is a floater, Merrick, which means I can handle adapting to a client’s needs. Pretty sure caning that guy’s ass while his wife is suspended over the Sybian is within my skillset.”

Merrick frowned dubiously. “You’ve used an electric cane before?”

“First time for everything,” Ford replied cheerfully. “Now go, shoo. Unless you want me to take Tamsyn and see to her aftercare?”

Possessively, Merrick tightened his arms around her, squeezing a tiny squeak from her. When she whimpered and her cheek rubbed against his shoulder, the decision was already made. “She wouldn’t go with you.”

“Then go with her. I’ve got this under control until you come back.”

Another soft mewl got his feet moving in the right direction. Ford was right, he could handle whatever the Petersons threw at him. Fluidity and creativity was a key part of being dominant, and yes, adapting to new situations was also a handy skill.

Grateful for the support network of his friends and an understanding boss, Merrick carried his girl up the stairs and out of the dungeon, sitting with her in the anteroom until a service sub arrived with Tamsyn’s clothes neatly folded in a stacked pile in her arms.

“Master Merrick.” The sub set the clothes down beside him, then stepped back. “Is there anything else I can do for you this evening?”

“No, thanks.”

With a nervous smile, she flitted away again, returning to the fun below.

He really should get dressed and whisk Tamsyn back to the bar or their cabin before she woke fully, but he wasn’t prepared for the peace of simply holding her here, on the cusp of two worlds with the chaos of the dungeon on his left, the real world to his right, and the center of his universe right here on his lap.

Chapter Eleven

Tamsyn

Like a baby bird, she opened her mouth for the chocolate drops Merrick continued to offer, her tastebuds going crazy for the small treats. She’d never had chocolate before coming here; such delightful things were not for the womenfolk or the underlings.

Firmly nestled on Merrick’s lap, his erection poking her tender butt, she sucked on the drops in silence as the group of people around her laughed and interacted with each other on equal ground, men and women alike.

She still couldn’t get her head around how things worked here. On one hand, it was similar to the community—women being subservient to men, obeying subtle commands, displaying respect in an appropriate manner—and on the other, there were strong, dominant women demanding the same from submissive men.

Not only that, she’d seen women controlling women, men commandeering other men, and right here in front of her eyes, there was one set of two men with a woman between them, while Mack and Sierra waited for their husband, Liam, to join them.

Crazy wasn’t the word; her mind was on the verge of imploding for the second time in a very short period. Her brain was full of so much new information, new experiences, she didn’t really know how to process all of it.

Walking into the dungeon, as Evander called it, had opened her eyeswide. At the time, when her separation anxiety kicked in at top volume, screeching for Merrick, she hadn’t given any thought as to where he was or what he was doing; she’d only known that she needed to be near him again for the horrible, fearful sensations to leave her alone.

The other Doms had quibbled over how wise it was to take her to him, but Elias stepped up to the plate and took control effortlessly, understanding she wasn’t being abrat, but genuinely needed Merrick.

Still, despite their warnings, she hadn’t been prepared to witness him holding court over his empire, the physical embodiment of a god on earth, wielding that chain link flogger as though he’d been born with it in his hand. Sweat glistening on his chest, trailing down to the waistband of his pants in rivulets, sheening his back and upper arms.

His face had been so serious, his dark eyes unreadable from above, but his concentration was so fierce, as though he was mentally commanding the flogger exactly where to land, directing each chain link to strike precisely where he desired.

She wasn’t ashamed to admit she wanted to run from him every bit as much as she needed to runtohim. A pinnacle moment, she supposed, when she realized the man she loved was more powerful than she imagined, that he belonged here.

The question was, did she?

“Mind if we join you?”

Tamsyn’s head lifted at the sound of the blond Dom’s voice. Pressing deeper into Merrick’s chest, she dropped her gaze and swore she was going to drown in a sea of blatant dominance before the night was over.

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