Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 275(@200wpm)___ 220(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
It didn’t matter. She was out of my life.
I spent the next couple hours in Tysons, running errands, visiting another type of sadist at my waxing place, stocking up on brat bribes—not at the waxing place—getting my nails done… Again, I should say. I’d tried to go back to my usual dark-red nails the other week, but I wasn’t happy. So goodbye to those, and hello, pale, semitransparent peach. They were much shorter too. It felt weird but good. I needed to shake things up in my life, and I’d been so set in my latex-and-corset ways that most of my friends had lifted brows and made comments when I’d started showing up in jeans, All Stars, and hoodies. I’d even dyed my hair, despite it was only two shades darker. More auburn than red.
The six-inch heels weren’t going anywhere. I still loved my kinky outfits—plus, they made me feel less fun-sized in a community of giants. But in my everyday life, I was itching to kick back and explore the world of pajama shorts, loose tees, and flip-flops.
Before I headed back to Mclean, I had lunch and texted Walker a request for some new toys. His work with leather, glass, and silicone had turned me into a happy customer.
Minutes later, I wrestled all my shopping bags into the back of the truck, and I sent off a text to Tate too. I wanted to put together a new aftercare kit, and he was a wealth of knowledge. He and Kingsley played hard, so Tate knew how to look after bruises and cuts.
By the time I was at Mclean again, more cars had filled the large carport. I arrived at the same time Colt, Lucas, and Kit did, and they were quick to offer me assistance.
Colt grabbed three of the bags and eyed my shirt. “That looks familiar.”
“It’s called denim, Wyatt Earp,” I replied. “I think it’s catching on.”
Something that wasn’t catching on was his mustache. I just couldn’t get used to it.
Lucas and Kit laughed.
Colt narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re a fuckin’ brat sometimes.”
I puckered my lips at him. He was one to talk. He, Greer, and Reese were three of the biggest brats known to man.
Kit gasped. “Oh! Mistress Penelope, this bag is full of candy!”
I smiled at him and nudged his shoulder with my own. “Go ahead, grab something. It’ll be our secret. But your Daddies decide when you can eat it.”
He was so fucking cute. He got all excited and dug through the bag, ultimately deciding between Pop Rocks and a packet of Nerds.
The Nerds won.
“Thank you so much, Ma’am!” He shook the packet and looked up expectantly at his Owners. “May I eat them now, please?”
Colt and Lucas looked on, amused, and Lucas was first to offer a nod.
“But you promise to eat all your veggies later,” Colt added. “Otherwise, I’ll have Luke bitchin’ at me.”
I coughed to hide a laugh.
Lucas scowled instead. “Because that’s why he needs to eat his greens? Honestly, Colt.”
Kit giggled. “I promise!” Before he was off, he told me he’d put the big bag of candy on my porch.
That worked for me.
In the meantime, I walked ahead of Colt and Lucas, who went through their version of a fight. Like so many times before. Lucas stressed the importance of Kit eating something other than sugar; Colt apologized and literally forbade Lucas from being mad at him. Then it was time for me to tune out because Colt promised to make Lucas smile the way “only a Texan can” in the bedroom later. And Lucas was a big enough slut to fall for it.
I wasn’t sure Ella and I had ever been that sickeningly in love. We’d had a wonderful kink dynamic, where we’d lived and breathed devotion, but in the months following our breakup, I’d started realizing I’d been missing signs pointing to something that had been missing. The vanilla aspects couldn’t measure up to the kind of love I saw between many of my friends.
It was just my luck that I’d become single during what was turning into the Mclean House summer of love. Colt and Lucas were getting married and planning a second ceremony to include Kit. Tate and Kingsley were also getting hitched—plus they were expecting a kid this fall. Their surrogate was pregnant.
Lucian had proposed to Cam during the cruise…
River, Reese, and Shay were moving in together in a brand-new house.
Greer had found his happiness with three partners, and the four not only lived together on his little farm, they had a bunch of kids too.
Ivy was pregnant, happily sandwiched in her triad with two men.
Macklin had been reunited with his husband Walker, and the two had built a second dynamic with Ty and Lane.
So many different types of relationships, yet they all had one thing in common. The fierce love and loyalty.