Page 51 of Stripping the Sub
Maybe she should focus on managing a club relationship before she started doing things that definitely were relationship-relationship.
Rather than changing out of Michael’s clothes, she went back into the living room and picked up Watson, who protested the interruption of his nap with a sad little mew.
“Oh you’re fine,” she said, refusing to let him make her feel guilty. “You can come cuddle.”
Despite his protest, he had no problem settling in on her stomach, his orange paws kneading Michael’s shirt on her chest while she petted him. She’d make sure to wash Michael’s shirt and boxers before going to the club tonight, but she didn’t want to take them off quite yet. They were really comfy. That was the only reason, of course. Why bother changing when she was already in comfy clothes?
Made sense to her.
“I can do this,” she whispered, stroking Watson’s ears as he purred encouragement. “We’ll have a club contract. I’ll learn how to handle that. And then we’ll see where we go from there.”
And if the club contract didn’t work out, then she would never need to tell him about what happened with Lawrence….She didn’t know which option made her feel worse.
Chapter 12
Since there were no open rooms, and Ellie’s ass was still sore, they’d agreed not to play again until next Friday. Which really sucked, because watching her tonight, Michael wanted nothing more than to drag her off and play again.
Being in a club-only relationship was harder than he’d thought it would be. While she was wearing his collar and he didn’t have to worry about her scening with anyone else, he still couldn’t just take her home with him and do perverted things to her there - an option he’d always had in the past with his relationships. She was worth the effort, but it still wasn’t easy.
The restriction chafed.
Especially because, despite how satisfying last night’s scene had been, he wasn’t exactly emotionally satisfied with where they were. After she’d left that morning, he’d ended up going out to Target and getting a couple of things to spruce up his living room, but even while he’d been shopping he hadn’t been able to rid himself of the nagging itch on the back of his neck. He wanted more than a club relationship with her, and although a club relationship was the first step, he wasn’t sure she wanted more from him.
Or, at least, he wasn’t sure she would let herself have more with him. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked her to dinner before the club, but people had to eat, right? He hadn’t realized a small suggestion of dinner would make her back off so quickly.
And now they were on opposite sides of a bar table, with their friends. Ellie was smiling and laughing and having a good time, but she was also all the way over there. Michael couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, especially when she’d squirm on her seat, glance at him, and then drop her eyes as she blushed, and he knew she was feeling the plug he’d inserted as soon as she’d arrived. That or the lingering soreness, which she’d told him she was still feeling, even though her ass was back to its usual creamy color. She’d worn a short flippy skirt with a dark red corset which pushed her breasts up like a shelf, protecting her nipples from rubbing while giving him far too much ivory skin to admire and fantasize about marking.
The collar on her neck gave him the right to do what he wished in the club, but when she’d chosen to sit across from him, he’d decided not to push it and do what he really wanted - which was tuck her under his arm like Jared had done with Leigh, or sit her on his lap, like Liam with Hilary, or stand behind her seat, like Adam with Angel. Fortunately, everyone else was off scening or hadn’t made it out tonight, so he only had three couples to compare him and Ellie to and be jealous of.
When Ellie and Hilary decided they needed to go to the bathroom, Angel leaned over and poked him in the arm. Michael looked down at her and raised his eyebrow. He’d been working on trying to get her to remember to be more respectful with him in the club, but it was a work in progress. She had trouble remembering it with everyone though, so at least it wasn’t just him.
“Yes, Pest?”
“What’s with the pouty face?” she asked, frowning at him as she leaned back against Adam, smoothing her silky purple negligeeover her baby bump. “You’ve been staring at Ellie like you’re a sugar addict and she’s the last cupcake on earth.”
Jared snorted as Leigh started giggling, while Liam and Adam exchanged looks.
“You have such a way with words,” he teased a small smile lifting the corners of his lips, even though his thoughts were already whirling. He didn’t really look that obvious and pathetic, did he?
“I know,” Angel said smugly. “But you didn’t answer my question. What’s going on with you and Ellie?”
He shrugged, trying not to look or sound as down as he felt. “We have a club relationship, that’s all. It’s a bit of an adjustment.”
Angel cocked her head to the side, her curls sliding over her shoulders. Behind her, Adam gave him a sympathetic look.
“So you want a date with her,” Angel said, but not like she was asking, more like she was thinking.
“We should do a group outing,” Leigh suggested, giving him an encouraging smile. “Then Michael can try and make it date-like.”
Looking down at her, Jared squeezed his arm a little tighter around her shoulders. “No match-making unless Michael actually wants your help.”
“Actually, that sounds like a pretty good idea,” Michael admitted as he thought it over. “I’d like to spend some time with her outside of the club, to see if we can work our way to more than just a club relationship, and I think the only way she’s going to be comfortable doing that right now is with a group.”
“Sharon’s been wanting to go to the zoo,” Angel said brightly. “I’ll organize it and make sure we get Ellie to come too.” When Adam groaned, she twisted around to glare at him. “And you’re coming too!”
“I hate the zoo.”
Hiding his own smile, Michael reached out to clap the other man on the shoulder. “Thanks for taking one for the team, man.”
