Lukus was shocked at the candid and heartfelt request from his best friend.
“Wow. Who are you, and what’d you do with Markus?”
“Fuck you.”
“Seriously, Markus. I never thought you’d ask me for help. You’ve always preferred to be the helper rather than the helpee. At the risk of sounding like a pompous ass, I’m proud of you. I know we’ve spent a lot of time together over the last year because of the trial, but I don’t think I’m telling you anything you don’t already know. Things still haven’t really felt the same as it was before, well, before that night. I really am sorry Bri cheated on you, but I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you asked me for my help. It feels like the old days, and I like it.”
“Yeah, me too,” Markus replied. “I just wish I hadn’t had to get hit over the head with a fucking sledgehammer to wake me up. But I guess I need to get back to my wife.” Markus narrowed his eyes at his friend. “What the hell are you doing in this bathroom, anyway?”
“I just need a quick shower. Tiffany’s using my bathroom.”
“And you aren’t in there with her? I saw the way you were looking at her tonight. You want to fuck her.”
“Hey, watch it. I do want to fuck her, but…”
“But, what?” Markus’s eyes lit up with mischief as he caught on. “But, she’s knocking you on your ass, isn’t she? I can see it in your eyes.”
Lukus wanted so bad to deny it, but his best friend was exactly right.
“Fuck. Is this how you felt when you met Brianna? Let’s face it. I’ve spent next to no time whatsoever with non-subs like Tiff. I’ve known for some time now I was getting bored with the subs that would come and go here at the club. It’s almost like I’ve been waiting for something to change, but I had no fucking clue what it was. Now I meet a woman who’s a one-eighty from any woman I’ve gone out with since my senior prom and she has me acting like that eighteen-year-old all over again because I’m so worried I’m gonna scare her away.”
Markus chuckled. “Oh man, you do have it bad. I’d love to offer some advice that could make it easier, but you’re talking to the guy who just forgave his wife for cheating on him with her psychotic ex-boyfriend because he can’t live without her.”
The men lapsed into silence for a moment before Lukus quietly asked his next question. “Was it worth it? Turning in your Dom card, I mean?”
“Hell, yes. I’d do it again in a heartbeat if that’s what it took to make Bri happy. It wasn’t so bad. Sure, I had to give up some things, but what I gained was so much better.”
“And now you get the full package. Bri wants a Dom after all.” Lukus hated that he could hear the tinge of bitterness in his own voice.
“And who says you can’t have the same thing?”
“I don’t know, Markus. Tiffany isn’t Bri. She’s a total newbie to the whole scene. I can tell it scares the shit out of her. Who am I kidding? I scare the shit out of her.”
He stopped talking to stare at his friend. “What the hell are you smiling at?”
“You. Lukus Mitchell—the Master’s Master—needs help navigating the tricky waters with a new sub.”
“Very funny. Haven’t you been listening? Tiffany isn’t a submissive.”
“No, Lukus. Haven’t you been listening? You already have your answer. You’re just too close to see it. Don’t make the same fucking mistake I made. Tiffany wants to explore her submissive feelings just like Brianna does. They loan each other their iPads loaded up with BDSM love stories. They love the same bookmarked websites and blogs on domestic discipline and the whole D/s lifestyle. They both went to the BDSM clubs together years ago.
“The only difference between the two of them is that Brianna actually met someone in the lifestyle—or someone she thought was in the lifestyle. Unfortunately, Tiffany ended up with a front row seat to Brianna’s abuse and they both ended up scarred in the process.
“I’ve known Tiff as long as I’ve known Bri. She was there the night I met Brianna at the benefit dinner and I’m telling you—you’ll need to go slow with her and give her time to learn that what she saw between Jake and Brianna wasn’t what BDSM is all about. She’s a lot like Brianna—she’s confused by her submissive feelings but doesn’t know how to talk about it. You’ll need to guide her with baby steps.”
Lukus grew dark. “I could fucking kill that bastard, Jake. It was bad enough when I knew what he did to Bri, but seeing how it’s affected Tiff, too? Let’s just say it’s a good thing you’re on retainer, buddy, because if I manage to bump into him, I’m gonna beat the shit out of him.”
“Funny you should mention it. I was gonna let the dust settle for a few days and then come hire you to dig up everything you can on the fucker. I’m going after the little prick, Lukus. I should have done it years ago, but Bri talked me out of it. He’s a menace and someone needs to put him down. I’m not talking contract killer shit here. I just need information I can use to destroy him and put him behind bars. You know damn well he’s hurting other women, too.”
“Fuck yeah,” Lukus said. “But you don’t need to hire me. I’ll do it for free.”
“If things work out with Tiff, you’ll have as much at stake as I do.” Markus started to head back towards his bedroom. “Take your shower. We’ll talk tomorrow. I need to get back to my wife.”
“Don’t you mean your submissive?”
Markus turned back to face his best friend.
“No. Bri is my wife first and foremost. Since it seems you might be on the verge of following my footsteps into domestic bliss, I should warn you Lukus. Neither Bri nor Tiff will ever be full-timers and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love how strong Brianna is. I already told her tonight that while she may be my sub in the bedroom and I may be the head of our household, I refuse to dominate her to the point that she changes who she is. And you’ll need to be careful, too. If you’re looking to turn Tiff into a 24/7 sub, do us all a favor and walk away now. As mad as I was at her yesterday, I love Tiffany. She’s pretty special just the way she is.” He paused to study his friend. “Are you going to be happy with an equal partner outside of the bedroom?”
“If you’d asked me that question a week ago, I’m not sure what my answer would’ve been. But tonight, I came to the same conclusion.” He couldn’t stop himself from breaking into a shit-eating grin. “She has this sass about her—a fire I find myself attracted to.”
“Holy shit. I’m totally blown away. You aren’t even trying to deny it.”
“What’s the point? We had an argument over a fucking brownie this afternoon and the most surprising part was that I loved every minute of it. What the hell is that all about? I should probably be freaking out over how quickly she’s gotten under my skin, but if I’m halfway honest with myself, I haven’t had this much fun around a woman in a long time.”
Markus was laughing again. “This is gonna be entertaining. I’m not exactly sure who’s going to be training whom.”