Page 73 of Heist

Chapter Nineteen

Patrick held Austin tightly to him as she cried. Punishing her had not been his plan for the start of their weekend together, but she’d left him little choice.

“I’m sorry I had to do that baby girl,” he murmured when her crying had subsided.

Austin gave him a small shrug. “I was a brat. I deserved it. Maybe now we can have a less emotionally charged conversation about all of this now?”

Patrick smiled. “That’s a wise idea. Start with your main concerns.”

Austin shuddered. “I just don’t want things to change between us.”

Patrick tipped her chin up. “Change how?”

Austin’s eyes wandered everywhere but his face and he chuckled. “You wanted to talk.”

“I know. I just…”

He waited patiently for her to continue.

“I wasn’t expecting to get so attached to you when I agreed to be a house sub. I thought I was helping Solitaire out, and it turns out it’s something I needed for me too. I just didn’t know it. And now, I care about you, Patrick. I know… I know I’m not your girlfriend, I’m just your sub, but I like what we have.”

Patrick frowned. “I’m going to stop you right there. You’re notjustmy sub. This is a relationship I take very seriously. I care for you too. I would like to think if we weren’t in the middle of a legal situation, I would be taking you on dates and telling the world you’re my girlfriend. It may be unconventional, but we’re still in a relationship.”

“So why would you let me wear Lance’s bracelet?”

Patrick closed his eyes. “It’s not that I want to, baby. Believe me, I already threatened his balls if he touches you sexually.”

Austin giggled. “I can picture that.”

Patrick just shook his head and continued. “The other alternative is that you leave the house submissive program.”

Austin shook her head. “I want to finish. I like the stuff I’m learning about dominance and submission. Things I’d never thought about before. I just want to finish it with you, and I want to help with the masked gala like I said I would.”

Patrick smiled. That was his Austin. She kept her promises.

“If we moved your training to Lance, he would not be your Dom. Not the way I have been. That role will still fall to me, because you’re mine. We would just have to keep this part of us to the privacy of bedroom stuff. In the club, you would just be a house submissive and wear Lance’s bracelet. In here, I still own your body, baby girl.”

“Would Lance be the one to punish me?”

“Only if I’m not here. He will however have free rein to decide if you need to be punished just as I do.”

Austin considered it for a minute. “And this would just be until we figure out who’s leaking membership information?”

Patrick nodded.

‘Does that mean we can’t play in the dungeon?”

Patrick grimaced. I’m afraid so, baby girl. I hate it too. We might still do our demo, but we’ll need to think about that.

Austin blew out a breath. He could tell none of this was sitting well with her.

“Is this what you want?” she asked.

He caressed her cheek. “It’s not what I want, but it is what I think is best.”

She closed her eyes. “OK. I’ll agree.”

“That’s a good girl. I’m sorry it has to be like this.” He gently nudged her from his lap and stood.

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