“I saw her that next morning,” Daniel said. “She looked calmer and happier than she has in a long time.”
Nathaniel sighed. “Nothing to do about it now. What’s happening? I’m guessing you didn’t bring us here so you could tell me you slept with Sasha.”
“I’m actually adding a level to her training.”
“Oh, no,” Daniel said.
Nathaniel frowned. “What? Why do I feel like I’m ten steps behind on everything here?”
“Daniel’s known me long enough to see where I’m going with this.”
Daniel nodded. “Cole and Kate were twenty-four/seven.”
Nathaniel’s eye grew wide and then narrowed. “You aren’t actually suggesting . . .”
“No, I’m not suggesting anything. To either one of you. I’m informing you that Sasha has asked me to give her a taste of twenty-four/seven and I’ve agreed.”
Neither man said anything. If they were trying to come up with reasons why he shouldn’t, they were wasting brain power. He knew them already. They needed to understand that he felt this was in Sasha’s best interest.
“I assure you, I will do nothing to harm Sasha. And you should know I didn’t agree to this right away. She made her request some time ago and I turned her down for all the reasons you’re probably thinking. But she’s progressed well, and she’s ready. Frankly, I’d rather be the one she’s with than for her to pick some stranger we don’t know.”
“I guess my thoughts really don’t have bearing on this, do they?” Nathaniel asked.
Cole was glad he finally saw that. “I didn’t bring you here to ask permission. I’m just letting you know, as a courtesy, how the training has changed.”
“We’ll need to know how it’s going. I’d like for you to check in with either me or Daniel a few times a week while this is happening. And I’d also request that Sasha continue to meet with Abby.”
Cole nodded. “Of course, that sounds perfectly reasonable.”
Nathaniel chuckled. “I’m not sure reasonable is the right word.”
Cole smiled and looked at Daniel. “Sasha wanted to tell Julie herself. She’s doing it tomorrow, so if you wouldn’t mind not saying anything to Julie . . .”
“Not a problem,” Daniel assured him. “I don’t want to be around for that conversation, anyway.”
• • •
“You know, Sasha,” Julie said first thing the next day. “I was thinking last night, and I believe Nathaniel was right in suggesting Cole for you.”
Sasha looked up from the bills she was paying. It had been another restless night, and around five she had gotten out of bed and started working. For a second, she wondered if she’d heard correctly. “Oh?”
“I thought he’d be too much, you know? Too stern and unyielding. But after I thought about it—well, after Daniel made me really think about it—you seem happier and more at ease.” Julie buzzed around the main room, straightening things up and pulling out papers needed for the day’s deliveries.
Now or never.
Sasha shut her laptop. “I’m so glad you said that. Keep it in mind when I tell you this.”
Julie froze. “Uh-oh.”
“I’m going to take two weeks off starting the week after next.”
“What? Are you serious?” She lifted an eyebrow. “How is Cole involved?”
“I’m completely serious. I’m arranging for a temp to come in and help. She’ll be here tomorrow.” Sasha stood up and walked to the workbench Julie was standing at. “I’ve asked Cole to train me at a new level and he agreed, but his condition was I not work for those two weeks.”
“That’s just crazy. What type of training would require you to . . .” Her eyes grew wide in apparent understanding. “Oh, no. Oh, hell, no. Are you fucking out of your mind?”
Taking a deep breath, Sasha answered as calmly as she could. “I am not out of my mind. It’s something I want to explore and Cole’s been nice enough to agree.”
“Nice enough to agree? He’s going to have a sex slave for two weeks. What man would turn you down?”
“Don’t be stupid—you know it’s more than that. Or is that not a collar you wear every day?” She took a step closer to her. “Don’t tell me if Daniel walked in that door and ordered you to the back room to suck his dick, you wouldn’t do it.”
Julie crossed her arms. “We don’t do twenty-four/seven.”
“Well, Cole does and I want to taste it.”
“This has ‘bad decision’ written all over it. I know you. You’ll make a horrible slave.”
“Thank you so very much for your vote of confidence.”
Julie’s eyes softened. “You’re my best friend. I love you and I want to support you, but you have to be reasonable.”
“What about Cole training me as a slave for two weeks is unreasonable?”
“The words that pop out are: Cole, training, slave, and two weeks.” She ticked them off with her fingers.
“I could handle your attitude better if you were a random stranger from off the street.”
“A random stranger from off the street didn’t sit by your side for weeks when you were borderline catatonic!”
Sasha saw the worry and fear in Julie’s eyes, but it was time for her friend to face the truth. “I’ll never stop being a broken submissive until you stop seeing me as one.”
“I don’t—” she started, but stopped.
“Cole sees me as strong and sexy. When I’m with him, I feel that way. Don’t make me feel broken, Julie. I deserve better.”
A lone tear streaked down Julie’s cheek. “God, Sasha, I’m sorry. I just, I can’t see you like that again.”
Sasha pulled her into a hug. “I won’t ever be like that again. I’m not even the same person. But I want to do this. I need to do this.”
“I hate it and I think it’s a rotten idea.” Julie squeezed her lightly. “But I love you more than I hate the thought of you and Cole and slave training, so I’m going to support you. Just promise me you’ll be careful, and I mean more than the physical.”
Nathaniel sighed. “Nothing to do about it now. What’s happening? I’m guessing you didn’t bring us here so you could tell me you slept with Sasha.”
“I’m actually adding a level to her training.”
“Oh, no,” Daniel said.
Nathaniel frowned. “What? Why do I feel like I’m ten steps behind on everything here?”
“Daniel’s known me long enough to see where I’m going with this.”
Daniel nodded. “Cole and Kate were twenty-four/seven.”
Nathaniel’s eye grew wide and then narrowed. “You aren’t actually suggesting . . .”
“No, I’m not suggesting anything. To either one of you. I’m informing you that Sasha has asked me to give her a taste of twenty-four/seven and I’ve agreed.”
Neither man said anything. If they were trying to come up with reasons why he shouldn’t, they were wasting brain power. He knew them already. They needed to understand that he felt this was in Sasha’s best interest.
“I assure you, I will do nothing to harm Sasha. And you should know I didn’t agree to this right away. She made her request some time ago and I turned her down for all the reasons you’re probably thinking. But she’s progressed well, and she’s ready. Frankly, I’d rather be the one she’s with than for her to pick some stranger we don’t know.”
“I guess my thoughts really don’t have bearing on this, do they?” Nathaniel asked.
Cole was glad he finally saw that. “I didn’t bring you here to ask permission. I’m just letting you know, as a courtesy, how the training has changed.”
“We’ll need to know how it’s going. I’d like for you to check in with either me or Daniel a few times a week while this is happening. And I’d also request that Sasha continue to meet with Abby.”
Cole nodded. “Of course, that sounds perfectly reasonable.”
Nathaniel chuckled. “I’m not sure reasonable is the right word.”
Cole smiled and looked at Daniel. “Sasha wanted to tell Julie herself. She’s doing it tomorrow, so if you wouldn’t mind not saying anything to Julie . . .”
“Not a problem,” Daniel assured him. “I don’t want to be around for that conversation, anyway.”
• • •
“You know, Sasha,” Julie said first thing the next day. “I was thinking last night, and I believe Nathaniel was right in suggesting Cole for you.”
Sasha looked up from the bills she was paying. It had been another restless night, and around five she had gotten out of bed and started working. For a second, she wondered if she’d heard correctly. “Oh?”
“I thought he’d be too much, you know? Too stern and unyielding. But after I thought about it—well, after Daniel made me really think about it—you seem happier and more at ease.” Julie buzzed around the main room, straightening things up and pulling out papers needed for the day’s deliveries.
Now or never.
Sasha shut her laptop. “I’m so glad you said that. Keep it in mind when I tell you this.”
Julie froze. “Uh-oh.”
“I’m going to take two weeks off starting the week after next.”
“What? Are you serious?” She lifted an eyebrow. “How is Cole involved?”
“I’m completely serious. I’m arranging for a temp to come in and help. She’ll be here tomorrow.” Sasha stood up and walked to the workbench Julie was standing at. “I’ve asked Cole to train me at a new level and he agreed, but his condition was I not work for those two weeks.”
“That’s just crazy. What type of training would require you to . . .” Her eyes grew wide in apparent understanding. “Oh, no. Oh, hell, no. Are you fucking out of your mind?”
Taking a deep breath, Sasha answered as calmly as she could. “I am not out of my mind. It’s something I want to explore and Cole’s been nice enough to agree.”
“Nice enough to agree? He’s going to have a sex slave for two weeks. What man would turn you down?”
“Don’t be stupid—you know it’s more than that. Or is that not a collar you wear every day?” She took a step closer to her. “Don’t tell me if Daniel walked in that door and ordered you to the back room to suck his dick, you wouldn’t do it.”
Julie crossed her arms. “We don’t do twenty-four/seven.”
“Well, Cole does and I want to taste it.”
“This has ‘bad decision’ written all over it. I know you. You’ll make a horrible slave.”
“Thank you so very much for your vote of confidence.”
Julie’s eyes softened. “You’re my best friend. I love you and I want to support you, but you have to be reasonable.”
“What about Cole training me as a slave for two weeks is unreasonable?”
“The words that pop out are: Cole, training, slave, and two weeks.” She ticked them off with her fingers.
“I could handle your attitude better if you were a random stranger from off the street.”
“A random stranger from off the street didn’t sit by your side for weeks when you were borderline catatonic!”
Sasha saw the worry and fear in Julie’s eyes, but it was time for her friend to face the truth. “I’ll never stop being a broken submissive until you stop seeing me as one.”
“I don’t—” she started, but stopped.
“Cole sees me as strong and sexy. When I’m with him, I feel that way. Don’t make me feel broken, Julie. I deserve better.”
A lone tear streaked down Julie’s cheek. “God, Sasha, I’m sorry. I just, I can’t see you like that again.”
Sasha pulled her into a hug. “I won’t ever be like that again. I’m not even the same person. But I want to do this. I need to do this.”
“I hate it and I think it’s a rotten idea.” Julie squeezed her lightly. “But I love you more than I hate the thought of you and Cole and slave training, so I’m going to support you. Just promise me you’ll be careful, and I mean more than the physical.”
