If he wanted this to happen, it would. He could offer me the same deal he had before. Say no and return to the house. Say yes and stay.
“Do you understand what I said, Charity?”
I nodded then addressed Cassius. “You said you hated him touching me!”
“I did.” He twisted his mouth then made a rueful shrug. “This isn’t the same. I get you too. I get to watch you run away and call me a dick, then fuck with you.” His smile hardened.
Fuckitty fuck.
“Your answer?” the doctor repeated.
“I don’t know. Let me think!”
Emme was right about me and the allure of CNC, and now I didn’t know if I was walking into something plain perilous just because my clit, and various other lady parts, wanted to see what happened when two dudes were both making me do what I should not want done to me.
“No, ummm suturing,” I ventured.
The doctor seemed to smile. It was difficult to be sure since his face was in shadow. “You will get absolutely no such guarantee from me.”
“You mean you might?” I hugged myself and trapped my palms under my arms to reassure myself.
“It’s a maybe.”
Just the thought of him doing something that sadistic had me wondering if I could take it, and even like it. I was too curious, too hyped up, too unsure of my sanity.
I swallowed and drew a zigzaggy shape in the sand with my toe, then peeked at them both. Cassius had one eyebrow rising.
8
CHARITY
“Yes.” My swallow was hard to do, as if a rock was in my throat.
That word echoed. This felt even more final than before—saying yes to the two men.
“Good.” The doctor came forward and offered me his hand. It was warm in mine, comforting even, though I felt I’d made yet another deal with the devil. “After your bath, I will give you a safeword for use in extreme occasions. Let’s go home and get cleaned up.”
Home was not a word I would have used, but a safeword would be welcome.
I let him lead me back to the house. Cassius followed behind. At the back door, Inigo waited, and I remembered how he had been the one to tell the doctor of our scuffle. As I looked to him, he raised his chin then his eyebrows in silent query.
Unsure it was genuine concern, I nodded and smiled, weak though that smile was. He nodded back then disappeared into the house.
“Inigo can be a bit of a mother hen with my lost girls,” the doctor murmured. “But now, what is this? Sandy feet or shoes do not come in the house. Wash and wipe them please.”
A footbath sat beside the door—a small rectangular tub filled with water. I dipped one foot in and was about to bend and wash using my hand when he tsked.
“Where are your shoes?”
“Umm. Oh. I left them at the beach. I can fetch them.”
“Rule something, something, Squirt.” Cassius chuckled. “Wear shoes outside the house.”
Squirt? I pulled a face. “I don’t need shoes on the beach, surely?” I protested.
The doctor went to one knee before me and lifted my foot and began to use his hand to tip water, wash, and lightly scrub off the sand. A Dom going to his knees for me was a startling shift. I swayed then hopped for balance. With some caution, I placed my hand on his shoulder.
Exhaustion was making a play for supremacy over my body. It wasn’t the drinks. My head was heavy, and I craved a bed to fall into, a very soft bed. Would I get to use the one my gown had lain on? I needed some alone time.