Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
A: Let’s play it by ear. I would love to go to Mclean with you and Walker. Just square things with him first before you reach out to me about a specific event, and then we’ll decide if I can go, and in what capacity we’ll attend, be it as boyfriends, friends, or Dom/sub.
Q: What do you want to fix in your life before you consider yourself ready for a long-term partner?
A: Stuff and things, you know. You never reveal the full crazy. That’s the ADHD rule. So maybe when I’ve managed to put my ADHD on a tighter leash, I can open myself up to the idea of spending my life with someone. Should be any day now.
Hm. My forehead creased, and I scratched my chin.
Safe to say, I could understand why Macklin had thoughts.
Hell, so did I.
“Thank you for showing me,” I said.
The first question and answer was a nonissue. It was good of Macklin to put feelers out about the future of their dynamic and how it would look. He was the right man in their relationship to think ahead and take the lead. His job as the Dom.
As for the second question… I’d like to say the question was good and the answer was even better, because I agreed with Lane. Making plans to attend events should be run by me first, as Macklin’s primary partner and Master. As Lane clearly stated—which Macklin hadn’t done.
I didn’t mind that Lane tagged along with us on Saturday, not one bit, but I would have to make some changes in my plans. Macklin couldn’t very well be in slave mode if he was going as Lane’s Dom at the same time.
Christ.
I rubbed my forehead, deciding not to even touch the last question. Or the answer, rather. Lane was not only hiding behind humor; he was putting himself down too much.
“I should probably tell you that I have a superpower where I can sense other people’s level of happiness,” Lane mentioned casually. “I can’t always put a finger on it, but the strongest emotions I pick up are when someone experiences sorrow and dread. Like a big rock sinking into their stomach.”
I side-eyed him.
A pinch of dread, possibly. A worry that told me we were all in over our heads.
“That’s a good superpower,” I replied. “When it doesn’t exhaust you.”
“Ha! Yeah, uh… Yeah.” He watched me with a bit of wariness in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
Yes. Sort of. I’d get there.
“You know I can back off at any time,” he added.
I shook my head. I knew one thing, at least. And that was that I didn’t want Lane to back off. I genuinely believed he’d make a good addition to our life. Not just because he was seemingly wonderful for Macklin, but because I preferred to have my boy with a steady secondary partner, as opposed to a string of casual subs he could boss around for temporary play. The latter was rarely satisfying in the long run.
I wasn’t certain I could handle that much sharing either. Actually, I was fairly certain I couldn’t.
“You’re not going anywhere, boy,” I told Lane. “Whatever Macklin and I have to work on, we’ll handle on our own. But know that we both want you in our lives.”
And we definitely had our work cut out for us.
Before we’d left Florida, Macklin had admitted his confidence wavered sometimes. Doubt flooded him in a powerful wave that weighed him down.
I could relate now.
A voice in the back of my head wondered what the fuck we were doing.
“That’s sweet but not reassuring at all, Master McKenna,” Lane answered hesitantly. “The thing is, I’mma need you two solid.”
I chuckled gruffly, suddenly more tired than before, and nodded once. “You and me both, kid.”
I should probably say something.
Was now a good time, though? The car was quiet and dark. Macklin was exhausted and couldn’t stop yawning, and I lost my temper easier when I was this tired. At the same time, I couldn’t silence that voice in my head. He’d crawled out from some back corner and demanded attention. But first things first—I didn’t want to accuse Macklin of something he’d possibly overlooked by accident. Not asking me beforehand if Lane could go with us on Saturday wasn’t against any rule, to boot.
On the other hand, wasn’t it fucking implied that he ran shit by his primary first?
I swallowed hard as annoyance and old bitterness flared up within me. Those extreme reactions belonged in the past. They were tinged by mistakes and wrongs we’d committed years ago.
I cleared my throat and slowed down before a red light. “Lane showed me his assignment.”
Macklin yawned. “I figured that’s what he was doing. A lot to unpack, huh?”
Indeed.
“To be honest, I’m worried I won’t be a good Dom for him,” he admitted. “Like, I wanna help him, but if he won’t answer a simple question—”