Page 105 of Sunrise

Unscrewing the top, I dip two fingers in and rub the salve along the welts I put on Vault’s back. His body is a tapestry of artwork that’s easily covered up with a shirt. One would never know that under the suits he wears, he’s got circuit boards going down one arm and a back covered in ink. My hand glides across his taut muscles and smooth skin while I admire the art.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whisper. Taking care ofhim like this, with Knox’s head in my lap, is grounding. I dip fingers into the salve again and run it over another welt. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“You can ask me anything, Mistress.”

I cringe at the honorific. It’s better than Madame, which was my old name, but I prefer them calling me Sophie.

Or Baby and Sweetheart.

Even Sunrise, though it still confuses me.

“Do all your tattoos have meaning?”

Vault stays relaxed, facing away from me. “Yeah.”

“What’s the double-headed angel about?” I run my fingers along two winged skeletons holding the same knife between them, with the point of the blade perfectly aligned down his spine. They face each other, their heads fused in the middle, so there’s only one face… or it could be two separate profiles, depending on how you choose to look at it. It’s always been my favorite of his collection.

“That’s me,” he says nonchalantly. “It’s how I see myself.”

Wow. Vault sees himself as two different people sharing the same brain? How… relatable. “Is the sword to protect you?”

“It’s a double edge.” That’s all he says about it.

“And the Medusa?” I caress her face, enchanted by her white, dead eyes. She’s done in all grey, black, and white. I get chills every time I stare at her for too long because it’s so lifelike, even the snakes seem to slither when he moves.

“She represents me taking back my agency,” he says coldly.

Tension stiffens in the air, but I refuse to give it space. Running my hand along Medusa’s face again, I rub salve over the welts in her hair. “She’s magnificent.”

I know Vault’s history, though he’s never shared every detail about what happened to him as a teenager. That trauma has certainly contributed to shaping him into the man he is today. I wouldn’t wish that suffering on anyone. Ever. But I also wouldn’t change anything about Vault.

“What is this?” I scrape my nails gently along the lower right side of his back. “Soundwaves?”

He nods.

“From what?”

“A song.” He doesn’t elaborate, and I don’t want to keep prying.

“Drink that water for me,” I say, stepping back into the role I belong in.

Vault grabs the waiting glass from the end table and chugs half of it while I turn my attention to Knox. I love how snuggly he gets. Of all my subs, he’s the only one I’ve ever allowed to get this cuddly. Normally I stay with them for a little while, offer light petting, but that’s it. Knox is different. There have been plenty of times when I’ve laid with him all night and was sad to leave in the morning.

“Does this feel good, pup?” I scratch his scalp, loving his soft hair. His faux hawk is all messed up, like usual, but he rocks it well. He wakes up hot and falls asleep still smoking. Add that jawline he brags about and full mouth, and he’s stupidly gorgeous. I’ve got two men who have some seriously major main character energy in my bed.

I love that for me.

“Would you like me to run you a bath?”

Knox opens his eyes, hitting me in the heart with those deep green peepers. “No thank you.”

“A massage?”

He shakes his head, tickling my lap.

“What can I do to make you feel good?” He’s been through a lot tonight and if our normal aftercare routines aren’t what he wants, I have to find something that’ll work.

He cocks a brow. “Can I haveanythingI want?”

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