Divine Solace: 8 by Joey W. Hill Page A

thing. So it wasn’t really
the same as a completely open relationship. Did they call it a relationship at
all?
    “Not really. Before Lyda took temporary ownership of him,
Noah was picked up by different Mistresses for sessions. But it’s been only him
and her for a few months now.”
    “Hmm.” Gen stole a quick look at Marguerite. Their boss was
still on the phone. “So how did he get his nickname?”
    “Can’t say it, can you? Pussy. Puuusssy…” Chloe fenced forks
with Gen and Gen stabbed the last bite of cake in retaliation. “Say it. Here,
kitty, kitty…”
    “Stop it. Tell me.”
    “If you say it.”
    “I won’t.” Gen studiously scraped together the crumbs on the
plate, then sighed as Chloe wet her finger and pressed them against the pile of
crumbs, popping the finger in her mouth.
    “Oh, fine. Pussywhisperer.” Gen said it fast, mashing the
words together.
    “Close enough. Noah has this weird inner focus thing. All
the Mistresses—as well as the subs they’ve had him play with—say he touches a
woman like he’s listening to something inside of her, figuring out what works
uniquely for her. It’s not just about him getting to touch a woman’s naughty
bits, which is of course where most guys screw up. You know how they are.”
    “Like babies with new toys,” Gen said dryly. “They gurgle,
drool and grope, forgetting that what they’re squeezing is actually attached to
sensitive nerve endings.”
    “Exactly. Brendan says Noah recognizes a woman’s body is an
orchestra and when he touches her, he finds the perfect soundtrack for her.”
    It was an entirely accurate description. In those five
moments at her sink, Noah had let her body lead him, her gyrations and tiny
jerks guiding his fingers. No. Deeper than that. He’d understood her unique
emotional grid and matched it to what she needed physically. And he’d used that
to take her to that amazing orgasm. The man was scary good. Just thinking about
it made her warmer.
    Chloe was watching her face. “Okay, if I didn’t have my own
maestro to have and to hold forever, I’d be feeling pretty damn jealous. He
really did tile your floor.”
    “No, not like that. He did some things.”
    “Noah is very good at doing things.”
    Gen found herself grinning at her coworker. She flicked
Chloe’s arm. “You twit.” But she felt comfortable enough now to ask more
questions. “What do you mean, temporary ownership?”
    “There are times a Dom and sub might hook up exclusively for
a while. It’s similar to being in a vanilla relationship, seeing where it takes
you, but they might put in place more structured stipulations that keep it from
being as uncharted as a relationship. I don’t know if Lyda and Noah have any of
that, but I do know they’ve been together as an exclusive item for a few
months. At first she’d play with him with other Mistresses, but over time,
she’s even eased back from that.”
    Which matched what Noah had told her. Not that she’d doubted
his honesty, or was in deep enough with him to trigger her trust issues, but it
was always good to hear a corroborated story.
    “When Noah first came here from New Orleans, Tyler was
watching over him. Not in a sex way, of course, but you could tell Noah
reported to him.”
    Gen’s brow furrowed. “Are subs controlled by a Dom at all
times?”
    “No.” An uncomfortable look crossed Chloe’s face, and she
glanced toward Marguerite. Their boss was off the phone and working on her
laptop. Marguerite wasn’t a big talker, but when she wasn’t on the phone, she
didn’t miss a word of their conversations, even if it appeared she was
otherwise occupied. Sometimes she’d insert a comment while Gen and Chloe
chatted. It was another familiar ritual.
    “I’m wondering if she should talk to Lyda about him, M. I’m
not sure what’s okay to say or not.”
    Marguerite lifted her attention from her keyboard, her
pale-blue eyes meeting Chloe’s with her unblinking regard. Gen