Page 133 of Sunrise

I kick my pants off to the side.

“Spread your legs.” She slides a riding crop between my legs and presses it against my right thigh until I stand wider… wider… wider. My arms are taking most of my weight as I cling to the cuffs. It also drops me a little closer to Knox’s eye level with him raised on his knees.

“Look how beautiful he is,” Sophie sighs.

She runs the riding crop down my spine.

Crack! She hits my ass with it.Crack! Crack!

I tense from the sting and melt when it starts to burn. “Thank you, Mistress.”

“Soothe him,” she orders Knox.

His warm hand caresses my ass cheeks, and he presses his mouth to my fevered skin. I groan as my head falls forward against the cross.

“This ass wants to be filled, doesn’t it?” Sophie cracks me with the crop again.

“Yes, Mistress.”

My head’s buzzing. I’m starting to shake with need. We’ve barely started and I’m already desperate for a lot of things I’m not sure I’m ready for.

“Everyone leave,” she suddenly orders. “This is now a closed session.”

I feel her disappear for a moment, and then she comes back and touches my side. “You did so good, guys.”

“If that was the case, Mistress,” Knox argues from his knees. “Why’d you make them leave?”

I’m wondering the same thing. We’ve only just begun.

“Because, pup, sometimes I don’t want to share either.” She bends down and kisses him sweetly. Then she runs her hand along my back. “What color are you, Alex?”

“Green.” I think I was borderline yellow a moment ago, only because I’m not sure I want others to see what I want. At least not for this first time. “It was the right call, closing the session. Thank you.”

“Of course.” She presses her mouth to my spine,right over the skeleton tattoo. “You’re mine to take care of. I’m not about to push us too far, too soon. What we just did was beautiful.” Her hands skate along my back. “I love that I’m a conduit between you two. That you use me to have each other.”

With my grip still firm on the cuffs, I let out a heavy sigh. Is that what we’ve been doing?

“Is that what you think you are?” Knox asks like she’s out of her mind.

Sophie gives a nonchalant shrug. “I am for every couple I see.” There’s something hidden in her voice. “I’m happy to play that role.”

Jesus, if she’s thought that this whole time, I’m going to beat the shit out of Knox and myself for failing to show her how significant she is to us.

Knox’s brow furrows like he’s offended. “Sophie, you mean more to us than…anything.” He grabs her hand and presses it to his chest. “You’re our fucking heartbeat.”

“He’s right.” Letting go of the cuffs, I turn to them both. “You’re the reason we’re here.” I don’t necessarily mean in this room. Or in this club. When I think of how hard life has been for both Knox and I, living in our separate miseries, while still trying to be in each other’s lives as best friends… the burden of our hearts has nearly killed us. Sophie has been our solace. Since the moment she stepped into our lives, she’s been the light at the end of our tunnels.

The air in our lungs.

The warmth on our cold faces.

Knox is right, she’s our heartbeat.

Sophie looks like she’s going to cry. “I didn’t… I mean I…” A shaky exhale ripples out of her, and she holds her chest. “I’ve kept my heart locked up for so long. You’ve never made me feel like a conduit between you. It’s just what I kept telling myself I was because I was scared that one day you’d leave. If I played the role of Mistress, like I do for other couples, then it wouldn’t hurt so badly when that day came.” Her eyes are glassy from the tears she’s holding back. “I want you two happy together. I just want… I want youhappy. I’ve seen how hard things have been… not just for you guys, but Ry and D too. You’re my family. The only one I’ve got and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

“Damn, Sophie.” Knox snags her arms and pulls her onto the floor, into his lap. Hugging her tight, he looks up at me like he’s at a loss for words.

“I love you both so much,” she says into the crook of his neck.

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