Page 126 of Shadow

“Not gossiping. Just shedding some light on your mysterious ways.”

Ripley rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just take care of my girl and don’t spill any state secrets while I’m gone.”

He pulled Olivia close and kissed her deeply. “I thought maybe spending the evening with Tyson and Sabrina would help after the way you dropped. Behave while I’m gone. Tyson is in charge of your safety and that means you listen when he tells you to do something, understood?”

Olivia nodded. “Yes, Sir. Understood. And thank you, Daddy.”

“Good. Keep your phone on. Gage might call you in a little while.”

Olivia frowned. Why would Gage be calling her?

Ripley slipped out the same side door they’d entered, and for a moment Olivia felt lost.

Then Sabrina clapped her hands. “What do you say we let Tyson give us a cooking lesson? I’ve been dying to learn since I found out he was a chef.”

Chapter 33

“DOESN’Tittastesomuch better since we cooked it ourselves?” Sabrina asked as she shoved her empty plate aside.

“It really does,” Olivia agreed as she glanced at her phone for the dozenth time in the past twenty minutes. She had been with Tyson and Sabrina for three hours, with no word from Ripley or Gage. She thought about calling Gage herself, but Tyson advised against it.

“You’re worried about Ripley, aren’t you?” Sabrina asked, putting a hand over hers.

Olivia gave her a sad nod. “It’s stressful.”

“Well, let’s talk about something else that will help take your mind off of it.”

Olivia inhaled and forced a smile. “OK. You’re different here than you were at Serendipity.”

Sabrina chuckled. “Of course I am. Serendipity is a fantasy. We take the fantasy pretty far, yes. But outside those walls, I’m just me. I don’t have another job because they needed someone full time to vet members and run the office. But before I became the club alpha, I worked as an office manager for a dreadful company. I’m happy to be free of that place.”

“And you and Tyson seem close. Are you... involved?”

Sabrina ducked her head. “That’s complicated. I’m sure he told you last night that I’m the alpha because of my lack of romantic commitments, which is mostly true. But Tyson also doesn’t want to start anything serious because he doesn’t know where his life is taking him. But he insists on being the one to play with me anytime he’s at the club and he gets moody if someone else beats him to it. I have feelings for him, but I haven’t worked out what those feelings are.”

“I know that feeling. Ripley and I only ever got a few hours together at a time before he left his job. We’ve been sleeping together and playing together for a decade, and these last two weeks are the most time I’ve ever spent with him.”

Sabrina whistled. “That had to be tough. And you got married to someone else at one point, yeah?”

Olivia blushed and nodded. “Unfortunately. And I didn’t pick very well either because he turned out to be an asshole. I’m worried that lapse in judgment on my part is going to hang over our heads forever.”

Sabrina shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s so obvious in the way he looks at you he’s head over heels in love with you. He’s just happy to be in your presence, you know? I’m sure he’s no fan of the man you married, but once the two of you settle down and start your life together, your first marriage will be a distant, fuzzy memory. Just a blip on the radar compared to what you’re going to have with your Daddy.”

Olivia smiled. “And the Daddy thing. That was completely out of the blue. He never even made me call him Sir before. But since he’s been home, he’s been demanding and made it clear he wants us to have a Daddy Dom/baby girl relationship.”

“How do you feel about that?”

Olivia thought about it for a minute. “I told him I like it because it reminds me he actually quit his job and is home for good. But I think there’s more to it than that. My entire life I’ve worked hard and been in charge. Even growing up, my parents were older and sick, so I was the primary caretaker in the house. I handled all the bills, I worked as many hours as I could in high school, and when I went to college, I worked even more. This new dynamic he’s presented me with forces me to slow down sometimes. It’s not like Serendipity where the subs are completely in service to the Doms. He’s serving me in a lot of ways. Taking care of me, making sure I don’t push myself too hard. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still demanding in the bedroom and none of that has changed, but there’s this new side to him I never got to see before. And I’m just as in love with that side of him as I am with all the other parts.” She paused and took a drink of water. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to gush like that.”

Sabrina’s laugh was melodic and comforting. “Don’t be sorry. You’re a woman in love. Maybe one of these days I’ll sort out my feelings for Tyson. But for now, I’m content where I am.”

“You’re incredible at what you do at Serendipity. Watching you with Evelyn had me squirming for her, and I wasn’t even the one in trouble!”

Sabrina flashed a wicked grin. “Yes, I can be a sadistic bitch when it’s called for. Evelyn loves it, though. All the subs do. We’re careful to vet people and only let in the ones who will be a good fit for our particular flavor of kink.”

“So, are you a switch?”

Sabrina nodded. “Something like that. I’ve never wanted to have a submissive of my own, though. So, the role of alpha sub is perfect for me. I get to indulge my dominant side and serve the club.”

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