“Can I hug you, Kit?”
“I'd like nothing more, Sir.” I beamed, leaning into him as he wrapped his strong arms around me.
“It's not a long goodbye, Pet. Just a week.”
I knew that, but I was still going to miss him. He, just like everyone in this house, had come to mean a great deal to me. He'd been a comfort, a rock and a source of information when I'd needed it most. It was amazing how much difference a week made in terms of getting to know someone. I would never have thought that in six days, I would have cared so much about people who’d previously been complete strangers, but the isolation of our location and constant companionship seemed to speed our relationships along; or maybe it was just them, who they were, and who they’d become to me.
“I'm going to miss you and your stories, Sir.”
“I'll miss your laugh and your beautiful submission. It's been a pleasure having you here, Kit, and I look forward to seeing you more.”
“Me, too, Sir.”
He stepped out of the embrace and kissed the top of my head with an affection that made my heart swell. “I do believe Maria has some treats for you to take with you, including coffee.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
I turned on my heel, knowing when I was being dismissed, and headed to the kitchen, bursting through the swinging door and twirling my dress. Maria seemed to get as much excitement from my new wardrobe as I did. This was the only dress I was taking with me so I needed her approval.
“This color is the best one yet! It suits you. Makes your eyes pop. You have such beautiful eyes and yet you spend so much time hiding them.” She grinned, cupping my cheeks before pulling me into a hug. “I'm going to miss having another sane woman in the house.”
“N’aww, Maria. You think I'm sane?”
Laughing and squeezing my cheeks, she shook her head. She wasn't that much older than I was, maybe ten – fifteen years maximum, but she had the maternal thing down to a fine art.
“You just look after yourself and Jared down there in the city.”
“I will, I promise.”
“Good girl. Now, I made you some muffins and coffee for your drive. They're your favorite. Chocolate chip.”
Leaning forward and kissing her cheeks, I took the flask and throwaway tub she'd put together for us. New Orleans wasn't that far away, but we were skipping breakfast, and Maria seemed to accept that she was our main source of nutrition. It was part of her charm, something that just came naturally to her.
“I'll see you in a week and I'll bring presents in return.”
“You bring me some of that voodoo mumbo jumbo and I'll tie you up and spank you myself.”
Hopping toward the door and pushing it open with my butt, I grinned at her. “I knew you were hiding your kinky side!”
“Wash your mouth out,” she called out behind me as the door swung on its hinges, her laughter following. That was another sound I would miss.
Breaking off a piece of muffin, I slipped it into Jared's mouth, giggling as he stole my finger with a gentle suck. His eyes never left the road, but his smile was brighter than the sunshine that was filtering through the thinning trees.
“Will you come to my favorite museum with me?” I asked quietly. The car had become a title free zone, propriety left to the outside world as we spent the time just talking.
“Depends. If it's something like the history of fashion, I'm not sure my masculinity could handle it.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled my feet up under me. “I forget how little you know me sometimes. It's a small place that focuses on the history of the French Quarter and some of the finer points and significant histories of the city.”
“You're a history buff?”
“Always have been. It's a secret passion. Not that it's ever done me any good.”
“I have to take you to England. You'd be lost for days in the history there.”
“Days? Try years. For a tiny place it has some of the richest and broadest history in the world, other than Asia.”
“You know, my mother did one of those family tree things a couple of years back. I think she traced Dad’s back to someone in the court of King Henry VIII. Then she did hers and there was some mention of her bloodline being tied to the man they suspected of being Jack the Ripper and she lost interest. Can't imagine why.”
I shoved another piece of muffin in his mouth as my laughter got carried away in the wind. “No, I can't imagine why. I knew you had creepy in you.”
“And you're complaining?”
“I didn't say that.” I took a mouthful of coffee and leaned against the plush leather of the seat, my hands warming around the cup and his laugh inexplicably warming the rest of me.
This was so relaxed but it always was with him. I made sure I was always the best sub I could be, but I never worried about the little things, like a hair being out of place, or my thoughts carrying me away, which left me free to enjoy the experiences we had together. I had to get back into the swing of things, however. I'd been so lax since being away from home. As with everything, there were pros and cons but the pros had started to outweigh the cons in my thoughts and it worried me. Things that had perfect clarity only a week earlier had begun to jumble in my mind. My lifestyle would always be what I wanted. That was never in question. No, what was starting to change was something dangerous. Something I had to stop before I let it go too far, something that had Charles' words echoing in my head.
Mistress was right. He was a sly old fox and he seemed to know how to get infiltrate my brain and make me think. He was sharp as a tack, and though he never said things outright, he would give me all the information I needed in riddles. Unfortunately, I thought there were times the two of us were separated by a common language. His terminology was slightly confusing in some cases. It didn't bother me quite as much as it had when we'd talked, but there was always a tendril of it weaving around in my brain, a puzzle piece I was trying to fit into the wrong spots.
“Think much harder and you're going to make a mess.” Jared sighed, startling me. “Don't hurt yourself over there.”
“Rude. You're making the assumption that I'm being academic. I'll have you know I'm being quite materialistic and vapid, thank you very much.”
His laughter rang out as he hit the bridge to go over Lake Pontchartrain. The city spread out before us as the engine purred and the breeze picked up over the water. We were at the mercy of the sun, exposed to the elements with the car’s top down, and the excitement stirred inside of me. I think part of me would always love the sight of this particular city sprawled out in front of me. It wasn't pretty as such, at least not until you were smack dab in the middle of the Garden District, but I knew what it held within it, the secrets that visitors never really discovered.
I navigated us through the streets, the congested roads giving Jared time to look at the parts he'd more than likely missed during his business trips. His office was on the outskirts whereas we were in the heart of the city at that point.
When we pulled up outside Mistress Kayla's house, I was almost bursting with excitement. I had to fight to stay in my seat and recall all those years of training when I wanted to jump out and run up the steps to the front door.
“This is Kayla's house?” he asked, the surprise in his tone making me smile in appreciation. The place was magnificent in its own way, a real gem in the heart of the Garden District.
“Yes, Sir.”
“It's beautiful.”
Turning off the engine and going through the routine of closing the roof, which he and I had down to a perfectly synchronized event, was torture. My patience had been left somewhere between here and the plantation house on the bayou, and I could see his humor as he gazed at me. He took his time getting the luggage from the back, while I stood beside him, forcing my feet to keep still, even as I heard the signature squeal of the front door’s hinges.
Leaning in close, Jared spoke to me, issuing a quiet command. “Go and see your Mistress.”
I could have kissed him.
With a quiet nod, my head down and heart in my throat, I kept a steady pace as I headed toward Mistress Kayla, bouncing up the steps and stopping in front of her to wait for her command. She seemed as excited as I was, her arms wrapping around me and pulling me close, her hand cradling my head against her chest as she kissed the top of my hair over and over again.
“My sweet, Kitty. I’ve missed you so much.”
My smile at her words was hidden in her shoulder as she stroked my hair lovingly. I stayed where I was, waiting for her to step back, mainly because I wasn't eager for her to see the bruise on my face.
The familiar smells of her and the house behind her seemed to add to the embrace she had me in. It was a warm blanket that kept the chill away – an old friend that I hadn't realized I'd missed.
I wanted to run in the house and up the stairs to her huge bed and dive on top of it like I had a million times in the past. I longed to turn on the radio in the kitchen and dance like no one was watching. These were all such simple things, but they were some of the actions that made this my home.
“Did you enjoy your week, my love?”
“I love being out there, Mistress. It's very calming.”
“Did you miss me at all?” she asked in a teasing tone, her light laugh brushing my hair and sending the unruly curls scattering.
“I did, Mistress.”
Her quiet chortle faded as I heard Jared's heavy footsteps climbing up the stairs. Mistress Kayla released me and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheeks, her genuine smile growing as she took him in.
“This week has been good for you, Jared. You look happy, and I see that alpha male that was once buried is now shining through. Did Kit behave while she was with you?”
“She was perfect, Kayla. She did you proud.”
“I had no doubt she would, Jared. Come on inside. I'll have Kit show you to your room and get some lunch going. We can talk after that while Kit gets ready for tonight.”
The finality of her tone told me that was an order. I was oddly fine with it. Unexpectedly, it felt like two completely separate worlds colliding. The elation I'd felt at seeing my Mistress was quickly plateauing as I realized that, unlike in Charles' house, I wasn't going to be informed of what was going on, and I wasn't going to be given a choice. This had never bothered me in the past, but a week of having it suddenly made me realize how much I enjoyed it.
I made the sandwiches while Jared and Mistress Kayla sat at the granite counter talking quietly. I knelt beside Mistress’ feet as we ate, nibbling on the crusts of the freshly baked bread she'd obviously picked up before we arrived.
I'd like to say I felt comfortable, but I didn't. Whether it was Jared's occasional glances making my skin tingle, or Mistress’ fingers trailing through my hair, I wasn't sure. I'd never felt that kind of discomfort in the past. Not with either of them, and it was both unsettling and distracting.
I was almost relieved when I was sent to get ready. Being able to think things through without an audience while I soaked in the bath made it easier to consider my own emotions. It took me a while to figure out what was bothering me, and it was halfway through drying my hair that I realized the two of them together made me feel divided.
The exercise in trust that week had almost been a little too successful. I'd not only come to trust Jared, but I'd bonded with him, too. All things considered, that wasn't a bad thing. However, having two Dominants who could easily have a difference of opinion was only going to end up confusing things, and maybe more importantly, me. We were in Mistress Kayla’s house, and I had to abide by her rules, but at the same time, she'd technically given temporary ownership of me to Jared for three weeks. So what did I do? Where did I look for guidance?
At the end of the day, that was up to them.
I just wasn't sure whether I would ever be told the outcome, and didn't that just confuse things further?
The club was as busy as it always was on a Friday night. Mistress Kayla had brought us through the back entrance to spare Jared from the overexcited zealots that were gathered at the front. I wasn't even sure he was aware they were there at that point, which was probably a good thing considering it was his first time.
Jared hadn't stopped looking at me since I'd shown up downstairs with the simple white lace slip dress and my black and white leather cuffs around my wrists. I hadn't looked up from my feet since I'd entered the room, but I knew the feel of his looks, the intensity of them as they burned into my exposed skin. Even on the car ride to the club his eyes had been on me before Mistress had tucked me away on the other side of her.
Inside the club was the first time I felt him slip and I knew he was taking everything in. Mistress Kayla guided me inside with her hand on the small of my back as she always did, and I felt the buzz of the atmosphere settle in against my flesh, the familiarity of it finally helping me relax. As she and Jared slipped into her booth, I knelt by her legs and closed my eyes. One of my favorite songs was playing and I felt it everywhere in my body as the vibrations ran from my knees upward.
The chatter around us was loud, the passing feet sending extra trembles through my limbs as they moved past us. I even felt the subtle bump as someone knelt beside me, the muted brush of his skin and the musk of his body all too familiar. It was Luke.
“Good evening, Luke.”
“Mistress Kayla,” he breathed reverently. The adoration in his voice made my eyes flutter open and a smile curl my lips. “Please forgive my bluntness but I missed you and Kit last Saturday.”
Mistress Kayla's laughter rang out through a soft lull in the music and I could almost feel the attention turn to us.
“Is it that time already, Luke?”
“I'm sorry, Mistress.”
“There's nothing to be sorry for. I would happily take care of you. Perhaps...” She paused. I wasn't sure why and I wasn't going to look up to find out. My curiosity would have to be abated with her answer, just like it would be for Luke. “Could you perhaps wait for tomorrow? I will need a sub for the lesson I will be giving.”