Page 21 of Sunrise

“I’m going to take the weekend to figure out my next move. Don’t respond or say anything to anyone until we talk on Monday.”

“You got it.” He hangs up first, and I bury my head in my hands.

I’m exhausted. Being a rocket scientist is not all it’s cracked up to be some days, especially as a woman in a man’s world. I bust my ass, but don’t get credit for half of what I accomplish. I used to roll over and take it. Then I got to the point where I pushed and fought back. It landed me in a spot that has me now fighting for every dime of the grants I apply for and I’m pushed aside at every yearly summit meeting.

All the effort I put into climbing the ladder of success, and the rungs are being pulled out from under me, one by fucking one.

My cell dings with another text. I almost don’t want to read it.

Thankfully, it’s a selfie of Knox on his bike with his helmet covering his face. It instantly puts me in a better mood, so I send him one back of me sticking my tongue out.

Knox: Is that my landing pad for later, Mistress?

Sophie: Only if you’re a good boy.

He sends me another selfie. This one has his face shield up so I can see his pretty eyes.

Knox: I’m always a good boy.

That makes me laugh. This man can’t behave even if his life depended on it. It’s one of the many things I love about him.

Sophie: Did you talk to V?

Knox: Yeah

He doesn’t elaborate, which is fine. We decided to carry on with our plan this morning, bumping up the timeline a bit. Funny, considering Vault’s plan backfired last night, pushing his timeline down.

They’re both shooting for the same goal—to mend the rift between them. And I’m in the middle, carefully weaving a plan of my own.

They may be best friends who would die for each other, but they were once first loves and neither of them have gotten over the shit that went so wrong back in the day.

One might wonder why I’m helping them instead of staying out of it all together. It’s because I’m in love with them both. Crazy, right? I know. It just happened. I didn’t pick this life, this life picked me. There’s nothing I won’t do to help heal them.

Vault and Knox love me, too. Not that either of them has ever said those words out loud to me. Their actions speak louder than their whispers of adoration. Still, I wish I could hear them say it. The fact that they never have makes me second-guess my purpose in their lives. I mean… I know they love me, but are theyinlove with me?

Does it matter? I should be grateful for what I have and end it at that. They’re my found family. Ryker came first, followed by Dmitri. Then Vault hopped on board and Knox closed the circle. These men would do anything for each other without hesitation. I can’t imagine what growing up with them would have been like. Probably very fun and terrifying. They have zero respect for authority, and I’ve always been a rule follower.

They say people come into your life whenthey’re meant to, and these guys had perfect timing when they came into mine. The Monarch Club has been my saving grace ever since theafter. But not even Ryker knows about mybefore, and he knows practically everything about me.

Down to my love affairs with Vault and Knox.

Dmitri does too, but he keeps his opinions to himself. Ry, however, has a close eye on us all the time. I feel it when we’re out to dinner at Midnight Run, or when I’m locked up in a room with Vault at the club, either with a client… or without. Everything we do sexually happens at the Monarch, which was a condition of Vault’s.

Knox never meets me at the club, which means I’m extra excited for tonight because it’s the first time he’ll be watched by Vault. It’s always been the other way around. Knox, with permission from both Ryker and Vault, has taken up security on special occasions at the Monarch, and we all know he’s only looking at one thing.

It’s been that way for years. Long before Vault and I started fucking.

Hell, even I’ve snuck into one of the guy’s offices to watch Vault fuck. As a Dom, he’s a stone top for the Butterflies, who are usually pillow princesses. He pleasures them constantly and they don’t have to reciprocate—win-win.

I’m often the same way with my subs, because I’m a giver too. Just like Vault, I prefer control. A sub sharing their body and trust is generous enough. There have been times when I see my sub explode in pleasure and get a release of my own from it. Vault doesn’t. It’s like he’s a robot with very little emotion behind his movements.

The only time Vault isn’t a stone top is when he’s with me. We had to work hard to get to this point, but the results are so fucking worth it. To be in any kind of submissive role, even on bottom, was difficult, but he persisted and now he’s able to do a lot of things he couldn’t before. He’s never fully relinquished control—yet—but we’re both extremely giving and the balance is perfect, especially when I top from the bottom for him.

The man is a god in bed. There’s no denying it. And I’ve seen his emotional side. It’s… intense. Slow to build and hot burning.

Knox is different. Where Vault is calculating and controlled, Knox is fun and freaky. He says yes to everything and trusts me wholly to see him through to the end of a scene and then cuddles hard afterwards. He’s such a good boy.

Vault is a tango.

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