automatically. “I need to
think of Dario. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”
Edan
sighed. “He’s a man, not a mouse. Why not ask him and let him decide for
himself?”
That was the problem. She knew he’d say yes
for her and not think about himself
or the repercussions to him.
“I’ll
see.”
“I’ll
pencil you in,” Edan said as he walked toward his own room.
“Only
pencil. I haven’t said yes.”
“You will. You hate misinformation.”
That
was true, but she still hadn’t decided what to do when, several hours later she
let herself into the house she shared with her husband.
“Hi love, I’m home,” she called as she flung
her car keys in the bowl on the hall table and checked she’d locked the door.
“Sorry I’m a bit late, the lights at the corner are out and no one wanted to
make the first move.”
The
silence was unsettling.
“Dario?”
Oh god, what sort of mood was he in? Where was he? She tucked her briefcase
under her arm, and walked into the tiny room that she now called the snug and
stopped dead
“Pet?”
Dario,
almost bollock naked and with a worried expression on his face, looked up from
his position on a wide hardback chair. With his arms behind his back, he had
one leg tucked neatly in front of him. The other, his left, stuck out at an
angle that spoiled the picture of a perfect sub. The only clothes he wore—if
you could call it clothing, he tended to call it something a lot less polite—were
a brace around his knee and another around his ankle.
Thank you, god.
“My
Lady?”
Tula
swallowed and blinked away the moisture that appeared in her eyes. Her mouth
felt as if it was full of cotton wool and her vision became blurry. She’d
prayed for this day and never thought she’d see it. “Are you sure?”
He
nodded and moved his leg awkwardly. “I might be a bit rusty, My Lady, and not
as flexible as I was, but it’s all green. I…” He hesitated and she saw worry in
his expression. “I’m ready. If you’ll take me as I now am?”
Why
did he even think that, let alone say it? Did he think that because he could no
longer sit on the floor, crawl for her, do everything they loved before, she’d
think less of him? Say it was over?
Never. It’s for life.
“I’m
always ready for you.” Tula hunkered down so her face was level with his. “Why
now, pet?” she asked quietly. “What made you greet me in such a way? Has Edan
contacted you? Your consultant? Your
manager? The club doctor?”
Dario
bit his lip and without thinking twice Tula rapped his knuckles, hard with the
briefcase she still held. “Do not do that,” Tula said sharply. “Any marks on
you are made by me, no one else and that includes yourself. You remember that?”
He nodded. Before she had a chance to tell him
to vocalize he spoke. “Yes, My Lady. I’m sorry. No one’s contacted me. I just
thought it was time to get my head out of my ass, build a bridge and get over
it. Enough of the wallowing. To answer, your in my mind, much more important
question, I’m green and ready to resume our relationship. This,” he tapped his
leg, “is gonna be part of me for goodness knows how many months, years … who
knows? I’ve let it bugger up what we have for long enough. Seven years ago I
vowed to be yours forever, in church.” He touched the platinum ring on his
wedding finger. “Four years ago I vowed to be your sub forever in front of our
friends.” He grinned as he fingered the silver chain he wore around his neck.
“Even some vanilla ones. I lost sight of that for a bit, and I’m sorry. Now
though, I need this connection, My Lady, if you wish it. I miss you, I miss
us.” He maneuvered himself to his feet and dipped his head. “I want to renew
our vows and move on.”
“In
church?” Tula asked. They’d only married to satisfy their parents. His
collaring was the ceremony that meant the most to them. Or, she thought, it had
been.
Dario shook his head. “No, in
think of Dario. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”
Edan
sighed. “He’s a man, not a mouse. Why not ask him and let him decide for
himself?”
That was the problem. She knew he’d say yes
for her and not think about himself
or the repercussions to him.
“I’ll
see.”
“I’ll
pencil you in,” Edan said as he walked toward his own room.
“Only
pencil. I haven’t said yes.”
“You will. You hate misinformation.”
That
was true, but she still hadn’t decided what to do when, several hours later she
let herself into the house she shared with her husband.
“Hi love, I’m home,” she called as she flung
her car keys in the bowl on the hall table and checked she’d locked the door.
“Sorry I’m a bit late, the lights at the corner are out and no one wanted to
make the first move.”
The
silence was unsettling.
“Dario?”
Oh god, what sort of mood was he in? Where was he? She tucked her briefcase
under her arm, and walked into the tiny room that she now called the snug and
stopped dead
“Pet?”
Dario,
almost bollock naked and with a worried expression on his face, looked up from
his position on a wide hardback chair. With his arms behind his back, he had
one leg tucked neatly in front of him. The other, his left, stuck out at an
angle that spoiled the picture of a perfect sub. The only clothes he wore—if
you could call it clothing, he tended to call it something a lot less polite—were
a brace around his knee and another around his ankle.
Thank you, god.
“My
Lady?”
Tula
swallowed and blinked away the moisture that appeared in her eyes. Her mouth
felt as if it was full of cotton wool and her vision became blurry. She’d
prayed for this day and never thought she’d see it. “Are you sure?”
He
nodded and moved his leg awkwardly. “I might be a bit rusty, My Lady, and not
as flexible as I was, but it’s all green. I…” He hesitated and she saw worry in
his expression. “I’m ready. If you’ll take me as I now am?”
Why
did he even think that, let alone say it? Did he think that because he could no
longer sit on the floor, crawl for her, do everything they loved before, she’d
think less of him? Say it was over?
Never. It’s for life.
“I’m
always ready for you.” Tula hunkered down so her face was level with his. “Why
now, pet?” she asked quietly. “What made you greet me in such a way? Has Edan
contacted you? Your consultant? Your
manager? The club doctor?”
Dario
bit his lip and without thinking twice Tula rapped his knuckles, hard with the
briefcase she still held. “Do not do that,” Tula said sharply. “Any marks on
you are made by me, no one else and that includes yourself. You remember that?”
He nodded. Before she had a chance to tell him
to vocalize he spoke. “Yes, My Lady. I’m sorry. No one’s contacted me. I just
thought it was time to get my head out of my ass, build a bridge and get over
it. Enough of the wallowing. To answer, your in my mind, much more important
question, I’m green and ready to resume our relationship. This,” he tapped his
leg, “is gonna be part of me for goodness knows how many months, years … who
knows? I’ve let it bugger up what we have for long enough. Seven years ago I
vowed to be yours forever, in church.” He touched the platinum ring on his
wedding finger. “Four years ago I vowed to be your sub forever in front of our
friends.” He grinned as he fingered the silver chain he wore around his neck.
“Even some vanilla ones. I lost sight of that for a bit, and I’m sorry. Now
though, I need this connection, My Lady, if you wish it. I miss you, I miss
us.” He maneuvered himself to his feet and dipped his head. “I want to renew
our vows and move on.”
“In
church?” Tula asked. They’d only married to satisfy their parents. His
collaring was the ceremony that meant the most to them. Or, she thought, it had
been.
Dario shook his head. “No, in
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