Page 29 of Jackson
Paula inclined her head. “Derek.”
They spoke casually for a few more minutes, the conversation flowing more easily than Paula had expected. Sonja was sharp, observant, and refreshingly direct.
As they chatted, Paula’s gaze drifted across the room, settling once again on Henry and Lincoln.
Henry stood near the dessert table, chatting with someone, while Lincoln lingered just behind him, holding a plate of cake. Paula watched as Henry finished his conversation, and without a word, Lincoln turned, extending the plate toward him and lowered his head.
It wasn’t offering. It wasserving.
Henry accepted it with a small nod, as if this was second nature, and only after Henry took his first bite and gave a subtle nod, did Lincoln take his own.
Paula swallowed.
Most people wouldn’t even notice. To the vanilla guests, it probably just looked like politeness, but she saw it for what it was.
Damn.
It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t a spectacle, but it wasintimate. Deeply ingrained, it was trust and balance, a dynamic so fluid it didn’t need words.
It wasn’t about control in the way she’d always imagined it—domination, submission, loss of agency. It was aboutattunement.
Henry and Lincoln moved like two pieces of the same whole, their understanding of each other so absolute that no orders needed to be given.
Her mouth went dry.
It was hot.
And, fuck, that thought terrified her.
You don’t need that.
She was independent. Strong. She had a good life, a career she loved. She didn’tneeda man—let alone a Master.
But a small, traitorous voice whispered in the back of her mind.
Lincoln is a strong, successful professional, and he thrives with a Master.
She tightened her grip on her plate.
She turned back to Sonja, who was watching her with quiet amusement, as if she knewexactlywhat was going through Paula’s head.
Paula lifted her chin slightly, forcing a smirk. “So. Whatisthis, anyway?” She gestured at the food. “Something I’ll regret?”
Sonja laughed. “Depends on how brave you are.”
Paula exhaled, shaking off the thoughts crowding her mind.Later.She could deal with them later.
For now, she had a party to enjoy.
“Hey, baby.”
Paula turned as if she’d been stung. “Jackson?”
He smirked. “Didn’t you know I was invited, too?”
“I didn’t, but… it makes sense,” she admitted, her voice slightly off.
She glanced around the room, between the guests, the furniture—anywhere but him or Henry and Lincoln.
