loaded too.’
Karen snapped her lips shut over a cutting retort. After a quick breath she simply said, ‘What does that have to do with anything?’
‘Nothing. Just making small talk about our potential slave.’ He spat the word as though it tasted bad.
‘He’s not a potential anything. We were just talking .’
‘About BDSM?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘It was a munch, Dan.’
‘Did you happen to mention you’re taken?’
‘It’s the first thing I said. I showed him my slave band.’
‘And what did he think of that?’
‘He liked the idea of the commitment. He said it was deep.’
‘‘Deep.’ Wow, cheers.’ Dan raised the bottle again, giving a little snarl when he found it empty. ‘Want another?’
‘No, and neither should you. We’re talking. Please don’t run off while we’re talking. You’re upset and I need to know why.’
‘I’m Master around here. Don’t tell me what to do.’
Karen flinched. Something in her chest clenched tight, squeezing until she could barely breathe. Then anger barrelled in and flattened everything. She put the laptop on the sofa. Leapt up. ‘Fuck you and your Master talk, that’s not what we are right now.’
He glared at her. ‘Of course it is. We’re only a step away from 24/7.’
‘No, we’re not. Unless we’re in scene, I’m ‘Karen’, you’re ‘Dan’ and we talk to each other like adults. Get a fucking grip.’
He spun on his heel and stalked toward her. In that moment, his eyes blazed and the curls of his dark hair fell down over his forehead. Karen felt the energy building that told her she was about to enter a scene.
‘Why don’t I get a grip on you, Kaz? Why don’t I show you who’s in charge?’ His voice dropped low and deep, rumbling at the back of his throat like a feral growl. He tossed his head to clear his eyes and breathed deep to swell his chest.
Her body responded instantly, nipples hardening beneath the fabric of her vest. She took a long step out of range. ‘Don’t do that. Don’t hide behind ‘Master’ because you don’t want to talk. You’re pissed off and I don’t submit to anybody when they’re angry.’
He reached for her. Whether to grip her arm, cup her cheek or touch her throat, she never knew. Karen leapt on to the sofa, almost trampling her laptop to stay out of reach. She wasn’t afraid, but she knew that any conversation she wanted to have would never happen if he managed to touch her.
‘Stop it! What’s wrong with you? Why won’t you talk to me?’
Maybe the sight of her wobbling on the sofa cushions broke through his anger. Maybe it was the venom in her voice. Whatever it was, Dan stopped moving. His shoulders dropped and some of the tension oozed out of his body. ‘I . . .’
‘What, Dan? This is so . . . not you . You’re not angry or violent . . . what is this about?’ Her voice quivered, but she didn’t care. The latent panic from even mentioning Sith left her weak in the knees. She licked her lips, trying to wet them but her tongue refused to cooperate.
Karen didn’t get off the sofa, but sank into the cushions, pulling her knees up to her chest. When Dan tried to step closer, she leaned back and shot out one hand to keep him at bay.
Part of her wanted to scream and shout. The rest wanted to hide. Ignoring both, she opted to stay put. This conversation had to happen. Now.
‘Stay right where you are. Talk. What the hell is wrong with you? Is this because of your dad?’
‘Yes.’ He ran a hand through his hair, holding the strands up off his forehead. ‘No. I don’t know.’
‘Dan!’
‘Fine, I’m pissed off. I have no idea what to do about Dad or how I feel. I’m just relieved he didn’t see me at the pub and doubly relieved he didn’t tell me straight out on the phone.’
‘And Sith?’
‘Who?’
She tapped the laptop.
‘What the hell sort of name is Sith?’
‘It’s short for Sithembile.’
‘Wow. So his parents couldn’t do what yours did and
Karen snapped her lips shut over a cutting retort. After a quick breath she simply said, ‘What does that have to do with anything?’
‘Nothing. Just making small talk about our potential slave.’ He spat the word as though it tasted bad.
‘He’s not a potential anything. We were just talking .’
‘About BDSM?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘It was a munch, Dan.’
‘Did you happen to mention you’re taken?’
‘It’s the first thing I said. I showed him my slave band.’
‘And what did he think of that?’
‘He liked the idea of the commitment. He said it was deep.’
‘‘Deep.’ Wow, cheers.’ Dan raised the bottle again, giving a little snarl when he found it empty. ‘Want another?’
‘No, and neither should you. We’re talking. Please don’t run off while we’re talking. You’re upset and I need to know why.’
‘I’m Master around here. Don’t tell me what to do.’
Karen flinched. Something in her chest clenched tight, squeezing until she could barely breathe. Then anger barrelled in and flattened everything. She put the laptop on the sofa. Leapt up. ‘Fuck you and your Master talk, that’s not what we are right now.’
He glared at her. ‘Of course it is. We’re only a step away from 24/7.’
‘No, we’re not. Unless we’re in scene, I’m ‘Karen’, you’re ‘Dan’ and we talk to each other like adults. Get a fucking grip.’
He spun on his heel and stalked toward her. In that moment, his eyes blazed and the curls of his dark hair fell down over his forehead. Karen felt the energy building that told her she was about to enter a scene.
‘Why don’t I get a grip on you, Kaz? Why don’t I show you who’s in charge?’ His voice dropped low and deep, rumbling at the back of his throat like a feral growl. He tossed his head to clear his eyes and breathed deep to swell his chest.
Her body responded instantly, nipples hardening beneath the fabric of her vest. She took a long step out of range. ‘Don’t do that. Don’t hide behind ‘Master’ because you don’t want to talk. You’re pissed off and I don’t submit to anybody when they’re angry.’
He reached for her. Whether to grip her arm, cup her cheek or touch her throat, she never knew. Karen leapt on to the sofa, almost trampling her laptop to stay out of reach. She wasn’t afraid, but she knew that any conversation she wanted to have would never happen if he managed to touch her.
‘Stop it! What’s wrong with you? Why won’t you talk to me?’
Maybe the sight of her wobbling on the sofa cushions broke through his anger. Maybe it was the venom in her voice. Whatever it was, Dan stopped moving. His shoulders dropped and some of the tension oozed out of his body. ‘I . . .’
‘What, Dan? This is so . . . not you . You’re not angry or violent . . . what is this about?’ Her voice quivered, but she didn’t care. The latent panic from even mentioning Sith left her weak in the knees. She licked her lips, trying to wet them but her tongue refused to cooperate.
Karen didn’t get off the sofa, but sank into the cushions, pulling her knees up to her chest. When Dan tried to step closer, she leaned back and shot out one hand to keep him at bay.
Part of her wanted to scream and shout. The rest wanted to hide. Ignoring both, she opted to stay put. This conversation had to happen. Now.
‘Stay right where you are. Talk. What the hell is wrong with you? Is this because of your dad?’
‘Yes.’ He ran a hand through his hair, holding the strands up off his forehead. ‘No. I don’t know.’
‘Dan!’
‘Fine, I’m pissed off. I have no idea what to do about Dad or how I feel. I’m just relieved he didn’t see me at the pub and doubly relieved he didn’t tell me straight out on the phone.’
‘And Sith?’
‘Who?’
She tapped the laptop.
‘What the hell sort of name is Sith?’
‘It’s short for Sithembile.’
‘Wow. So his parents couldn’t do what yours did and
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