He turned to get my cotton nightshirt out of a dresser drawer. He picked my light blue one, my favorite because the material was so soft. Ever so gently, he helped me to stand and unzipped my dress. His fingers didn’t linger like they normally would have, but were quick and efficient.
In no time, he was pulling the sheets back so I could crawl into bed. It took him only seconds to step out of his own clothes and join me. I don’t think I’d relaxed entirely from the minute I stepped into the club until Nathaniel pulled me to his side in bed.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I should have called you the minute I realized what type of club it was, or at least when Meagan left me.”
“I’m going to call her tomorrow and speak with her about this. As one Dominant to another. I know she’s your boss, but what she did crossed a line. You’re my submissive.”
I hiccuped and gave him a nod. I understood why he needed to talk to Meagan even though I didn’t necessarily like it.
He stroked my hair. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now I just want to hold you.” His voice cracked at the end and I knew he needed to hold me as much as I needed him to.
I curled up into him as close as I could. “I was so scared.” It was all I could say before I started crying again. He murmured soothing words I couldn’t make out and simply held me until I couldn’t cry anymore.
By then, we were both exhausted and fell into an uneasy sleep.
When I woke again, it was morning. Or early afternoon. And I was alone. The curtains were closed so no light came through the windows. Good for sleeping, but not useful in gauging time. I rolled to my side and checked the clock. Ten thirty! I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so late.
On my nightstand were a bottle of water and two pain relievers. I swallowed them greedily. My head hurt like a bitch when I moved. I stretched out in bed and willed my brain to stop throbbing.
I finally gave up and decided to get up. While making the bed, I suddenly realized how quiet everything was. The penthouse was smaller than the estate house; some noise should have been present. Two young kids were bound to make some sort of ruckus. I stepped into the hallway to see if I could hear anything. That’s when I overheard Nathaniel on the phone.
“I don’t want to hear any excuses,” I could hear him saying. “It’s simply unacceptable behavior for someone claiming to be a Top.” He paused. “It doesn’t matter that she wasn’t acting as your submissive at the time. She was in your care. How would you feel if I left one of your bottoms at an unknown club, when I knew she’d been drinking?”
He surely got that phone call out of the way early. I needed to talk to her as well, but I’d wait until evening.
“I’m glad you see my point,” he said. “I’m not going to claim I’ve been the perfect Dominant, but I’ve become a better one because I was called out on behavior that was wrong.”
I crept back into the bedroom to shower and change. Whatever conversation he was having with Meagan was between the two of them. Besides, my head hurt too much to think about it for too long.
I stood under the shower for a long time. The warm water felt good and washed away the last of the grime I felt from the night before. It was as if I stepped out of the shower a different person than I had been when I entered.
My stomach started rumbling while I dried off and I hurried along so I could grab something to eat and check on the kids. I knew they were fine with Nathaniel, but I needed to see them. I pulled on a robe and stepped into the bedroom to find Nathaniel peeking his head in.
“I heard the shower,” he said. “How are you?”
“Better after my shower.”
“Is Mommy awake?” Elizabeth squeezed past her father. “Mommy, you’re up. Daddy said we had to be quiet because you were sleeping. Are you sick? Are you better now?”
I pulled her into a hug. “I wasn’t feeling good, but I’m better now. Especially since I’ve had a hug from you.”
She beamed at me. “I fixed you oatmeal. Daddy helped.”
“Sounds great,” I said. “Where’s your brother?”
“Here he is,” Nathaniel said, holding the door open for a toddling Henry.
“Mamma!” he called and then ran as quickly as his stubby legs could go, laughing as I swung him up in my arms.
“Did you help with the oatmeal, too?” I asked, smelling his hair to drink in his clean little boy scent and wrinkling my nose instead at the scent that met me.
“No,” Elizabeth said. “But Daddy let him throw the trash away.”