“Are you implying I’d hurt my sub? My sub.”
“I don’t believe I was implying anything,” Tamati said calmly. “I believe I was asking Kinley if she was all right and if she needed any help. You’ve got a face like thunder and you had a damn tight hold on her arm. Any decent man would have asked the same.”
“I would never harm her!” Sloan half-roared, making her wince.
Tamati didn’t even flinch.
“I don’t know you and I can only go by what I see.”
A couple walked in behind Tamati and came to a stop. The man immediately pushed the woman behind his back, watching the two men warily.
Sloan took a step forward.
She had to do something. She stepped towards them when someone grabbed hold of her shoulder from behind. She jumped, turning to see Mace, on of Club Decadence’s managers frowning down at her.
“I hope you weren’t planning on getting in between those two,” he said in a stern voice.
“No, of course not,” she said defensively.
Mace just made a derisive noise. “Sloan? Tamati? We have a problem here?”
“No, sir,” Tamati said. “Just checking that Kinley was all right.”
“Hmm, she’s over an hour late and didn’t bother to contact her Dom to tell him she was all right. He’s been understandably worried about her.” There was a note of censure in his voice.
Great, did the whole club know she was late? Sloan had probably been pacing the floor like a caged bear.
She looked at Sloan, who’d taken a few steps back and was now looking calmer. Tamati grimaced. “Sorry, bro, didn’t realize.”
Sloan sighed. “No, I’m the one who should apologize. You were looking out for my sub. That’s your job. I was just looking to get rid of some of my aggravation.”
Tamati nodded and gave her a chiding look. Jeez, what was this? Kick Kinley day? She already felt bad enough.
“Sloan, maybe you should take a minute with Kinley before entering the dungeon.” Mace nodded his head over at the lounge area. It was currently empty. Later, it would be filled with people relaxing after their play.
“I’ll reserve you a spanking bench, shall I?” Mace asked.
“Thank you,” Sloan said solemnly while Tamati nodded.
Jeez, now it seemed they were all bonding over her discipline. Wonderful.
2
Sloan slipped an arm around her waist and led her over to the empty lounging area off the main entrance. It was a place to unwind and give aftercare. She loved curling up while Sloan took care of her. Having Sloan’s focus on her made her feel special. Wanted.
He led her to a dark gray, well-padded sofa.
“Sit.”
She sat with a sigh, resisting the urge to tell him she wasn’t a dog. She wasn’t quite in a submissive mindset yet. He walked behind the bar and returned with a glass of water. She raised an eyebrow.
“You look tired and you’re pale.”
Wow. She was glad she’d bothered with that crappy makeup.
Sloan always put her needs first. It was one of the things she loved most about him. She swallowed heavily at that thought. Did she love Sloan? Maybe. If it wasn’t love, it was something close. She wished she knew how he felt. He didn’t like to talk about his feelings. He preferred to show how he felt through actions. She pushed that thought aside; she’d deal with it another day. Maybe one day she’d have the guts to make herself vulnerable and tell him.
She trusted him not to hurt her physically, but emotionally it was an entirely different story. Eddie had really done a number on her.