No better way to set the record straight than to do it herself.
After puttering around Jensen’s house, exploring more, learning more about his personality, she dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and then sent Jensen a quick text, remembering his request for her to keep in touch with him about her comings and goings.
Having lunch with the girls. I’ll let you know when I get back home.
She faltered a bit as she hit Send, biting her lip in consternation. Perhaps she shouldn’t have referred to his house as “home.” But it was too late now.
Her phone chimed almost immediately with Jensen’s reply.
Have fun and be careful. Call me if you need me.
Her smile was a little—okay, a lot—ridiculous over his expression of concern. The command for her to call him if she needed him. It gave her a measure of reassurance she’d never experienced, the idea that he’d come the minute she needed him.
She climbed into her car, a bite of sadness hitting her, the same as it always did when she got inside the car her brother had given her for her twenty-first birthday. She missed him. He’d been her rock in so many ways. Life without him had been a huge adjustment. He’d always been there for her. Steady. Unwavering. He was the only other person who not only knew, but shared the horror of her childhood.
When she arrived at the Café, predictably Chessy was already there and Joss was late. They teased her mercilessly about always being late. But neither of her friends ever minded waiting on her.
Joss was just a ray of sunshine and she brought warmth with her everywhere she went. There was no gentler and kinder a person to be found anywhere. Dash was very lucky she had such a forgiving nature, because he’d very nearly lost her over his stupidity.
“How are you?” Chessy asked in concern, her eyes crinkled as she studied Kylie. “You look . . . better.”
Kylie smiled. “I am. Let’s go sit and wait for Joss. Then I’ll tell y’all everything.”
Chessy’s brows rose in surprise. Usually they had to pry any information out of Kylie and she was usually reluctant to offer it. Not this time. Kylie was turning over a new leaf and it was starting now. Perhaps it had started the moment Jensen entered her life.
Five minutes later, Joss breathlessly hurried up to the table, sliding into the booth next to Chessy.
“Sorry, sorry!” Joss said. “I just lost track of time. Honeymoon brain, I’m afraid. I’m too used to doing nothing at all. I’ve become quite lazy over the last two weeks!”
Both women smiled at their friend. She was flushed with happiness, her eyes sparkling like twin diamonds.
“I guess we don’t have to ask how it went,” Kylie drawled.
Joss blushed to the roots of her hair and grinned mischievously. “It went . . . well.”
Chessy rolled her eyes. “Now why do I believe that’s a huge understatement?”
Joss turned her gaze on Kylie, her eyes bright with concern. “How are you, sweetie? Chessy told me what happened. Are you all right?”
Kylie nodded, suffering only a hint of embarrassment over the fact her friends had discussed her.
“I wanted to get y’all’s . . . advice,” Kylie said uncomfortably.
Joss and Chessy exchanged quick surprised looks but they were also obviously delighted with Kylie’s statement.
“It’s about Jensen,” she blurted before she lost her courage and clammed up.
Joss’s eyebrows shot up, but she couldn’t have been that surprised if Chessy had told her about Kylie’s epic meltdown and the fact that Jensen called her to come over. Or perhaps Chessy had glossed over the facts, waiting for Kylie to confide in Joss in her own time. She sent her a friend a look of gratitude and Chessy smiled warmly back as if to say, “Hey, I got your back.”
“We’ve sort of become . . . involved,” Kylie said lamely. “In a good way, I mean.”
“That’s wonderful, Kylie!” Joss exclaimed. “You have to catch me up on all the details. Are you happy? Do you like him?”
Kylie sighed. “It’s complicated. Really complicated. But I figured you two were in a position to give me some guidance here considering the lifestyle you both live.”
“Then you know Jensen is a Dominant,” Joss murmured.
Kylie nodded. “But here’s where it gets complicated. He swears that for me he’ll give up complete control. That he’ll deny that part of himself. For me. That when and if I’m ready to make love, I’ll have complete control because he doesn’t want me to ever be afraid of him.”
“Whoa,” Chessy breathed. “That’s pretty heavy. I mean wow. That’s huge, Kylie. Huge!”
Joss nodded her fervent agreement. “You have to understand just how big that is, Kylie. Men like him don’t just give up control. To anyone. I’d say that speaks volumes about the way he feels about you.”
Kylie was delighted to hear it. To have it confirmed. She’d suspected, yes, but she didn’t truly understand the enormity of his vow. These two women would. They were both committed to dominant men. Men they were submissive to.
“I freaked out pretty bad on our first official date,” Kylie said, though this was not news to Chessy. “All we were doing was kissing on the couch, but I just kind of shut down and then freaked completely out. Jensen was worried. I wanted him to leave and he finally did only because he worried he would do more damage by staying. But he called Chessy to come over because he refused to leave me alone.”
“He sounds like the real deal,” Joss said softly. “He sounds like he cares a lot about you, sweetie.”
“I hope so,” Kylie murmured. “I care about him. I may even love him. I’m not sure yet. It’s all very confusing. He had to leave on a business trip right after our date and I didn’t sleep at all while he was gone. I don’t feel safe when he’s not there. And I hate that dependency. He came back a day early and I collapsed in the office. He brought me back to his house and has insisted on me staying ever since. I haven’t been to work since last Wednesday.”
“So it looks like he’s only willing to suppress his alpha tendencies in a few areas,” Chessy observed, her eyes gleaming in amusement.
“I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I kind of like them. He’s arrogant and bossy but he’s so gentle with me. He makes me ache. He makes me want things I’ve never wanted before,” she said honestly.