Page 253 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection
A weight lifts from my chest. “I’d be good with that, sir.”
“Good. I’m gonna want to see something of mine around your throat pretty damn quick.”
I take a deep breath and let it out. How do I keep telling myself it’s just a date, just a scene, just sex when he keeps stamping permanence over everything? “Sir, I’ve been collared before and when ... things didn’t work out, it was hard for me for a while.” That’s a massive understatement. I was a complete wreck after Edz uncollared me, even though I was the one who asked him to do it. If it wasn’t for Ruby, well, I don’t know what would have happened. “Could we, I don’t know, go slow?”
“Of course, girl. But I wouldn’t bring it up if I didn’t see things going that way.”
I swallow hard and turn my face into his neck, so he doesn’t see the mist filling my eyes. Allergies, obviously.
Mac rubs my shoulder and holds me to him for the rest of the ride to my place.
Once we get inside, I give him the two-penny tour. Since my apartment’s only three rooms and some storage space under the eaves, it’s not worth much more. Mac shoo-es me out of my bedroom while he gets ready. I use the bathroom, take out all my rings and barbells the way he’s told me to, unwrap a spare toothbrush for him and leave it on the corner of the sink, and, after a long minute’s deliberation, make a safe call to Austin.
“I’m scening at my place. No monitor. With Mac. He’s staying the night. I’ll call you before I go to sleep,” I tell him after he says hello.
“You had anything to drink?” Austin asks. He sounds sleepy, even though it’s not even eleven o’clock. Maybe he had an early shoot. Or maybe Mistress Dana’s already put him through the ringer.
“Nope. Mac and I shared a hookah after dinner, but it wasn’t weed or anything. Just tobacco or whatever’s in a hookah.”
“Tobacco,” Austin confirms. “Don’t make those a regular thing. People think they’re better for you than cigarettes but they’re not. So, date, huh? Sounds like you had a fun night.”
“I did.” I really, really did.
“Anyone you want me to call if you don’t check in?”
I chew my lip while I consider. Ugh. “Master Logan. I’ve had some trouble at the shop this week, so if I don’t check in, yeah, Master Logan.”
“If Mac doesn’t end up staying the night, you want me to come over?”
“No, but thanks for the offer.”
Austin yawns audibly. “You good?”
“Yup, you?”
“Uh-huh. You joining us for drinks this week?”
Most of the Blunts house subs meet up for drinks once a week. Until recently, it was just a showcase for the club’s reigning queen bee, Rachel, and her evil clique to gossip about everyone. Since I’ve never wanted to breathe the same air as Rachel and her cronies, and since I gave no fucks what they said about me, I never went. But Logan punted Rachel and her master over to New Jersey after Rachel snarled at Emily once too often. So maybe the weekly “Sub Crawl” will be worth going to now.
“Yeah, I will. Text me the time and place.”
“Will do. G’night, B.”
“Night.”
I pop my phone in the charger and turn to see Mac leaning in the bedroom doorway. He’s stripped down to dark boxers and I slurp up the sight of him. Between Blunts and tattooing, I’ve seen a lot of different bodies. Mac’s isn’t a young man’s body. He’s still hard and muscular, but there’s somethingweatheredabout him. Like he’s sculpted from granite instead of marble. His body has a density to it, like his stomach where he has a solid slab of muscle instead of a six-pack. His skin is grooved in places that invite exploration with my lips and tongue. There are tracings of silvered hair on his chest and thighs that I want to feel prickle my fingertips.
Can a man’s body have character? Mac’s does.
He watches me drink him in for a moment before his mouth kicks up in a smile. “Safe call, sweetheart?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I might not always want you tofeelsafe with me, but I always want you tobesafe. Understand the difference?”
“I do, sir.” I cross the room to him, giving in to the pull of those summer-sky eyes.
He lifts his hand, a blindfold dangling from two long fingers. “Feel safe enough with me when we’re alone to use this?”
