I stared at Haley, not knowing what to think after seeing her again. We'd parted on good enough terms, but our goodbye had been that, a goodbye. Having her back here confused me. It left me surprised, and I hated being surprised.
Unable to help myself, I took in the woman I'd thought I would never see again. She still looked good with her high cheekbones, long silky hair, and smooth skin. Her lips were painted red, which brought attention to her prominent cupid's bow.
She had more curves than the last time I'd seen her. It suited her. She'd colored her hair, too, making it a dark blonde instead of the inky black she used to have.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, ignoring her title for me. For now.
"I moved back to the city," she said as if that was an answer for why she was here, at my club. The hopeful look in her eyes made me suspicious, though.
Jennifer tried to pretend she was focused on something on the computer screen, but her stillness was proof enough that she was listening to our conversation and being nosey.
I didn't know why Jennifer was still on my payroll. I'd never liked her. At first, it had been a favor for Mateo's sister, and when I had grounds to fire her, Emma stepped in. Our girl had too big of a heart, but I couldn't complain about that; her big heart had allowed our group to come together, and hopefully, it was what would bring us together again in time.
With a sigh, I signaled for Haley to follow me. "Let's talk in my office." I didn't worry about having her sign a confidential agreement. She'd already done that when I opened Desire's Den years ago, and this type of contract had no end date.
Haley followed me without hesitation; her eyes immediately went to the floor as if she'd taken my suggestion as a command. Trained behavior was hard to unlearn, even after spending years apart. I was almost impressed when we walked across the club, and she made no notion of looking around the place. I knew she had to be curious about what had changed since she'd last been here.
Like an obedient slave, she walked behind me with her head cast down. It grated on my nerves, but I wasn't one to make a scene in public.
The second I closed the door behind us, I spoke in a gentle but impatient tone. "I'm not your master, Haley. I never was."
Her eyes snapped back up. They shone with hurt at my words, almost making me regret them. Almost.
It didn't feel right to me to not be upfront with Haley. I didn't want her to think of our time together as something more than what it truly had been; training, pure and simple. She'd already been a slave for a few years by then, but she'd agreed that I could...practice my dominance with her. I'd been an inexperienced master, and she'd had the experience to guide me.
"Please, don't say that, Ma–Mr. Cross. You were my master once upon a time. The best one I've ever had." Her voice was timid but with an undercurrent of strength.
Letting out another sigh, I moved to my seat behind my desk and motioned for her to sit across from me. She did.
"We didn't have a true master and slave relationship. It was practice," I calmly explained to her, though I found it unnecessary to even explain it. After all, she'd been the one to suggest it. I'd only accepted her offer. "You remember our agreement, right?"
She nodded, looking unhappy to admit to it. "I do. But it felt real, didn't it?"
"It did," I answered honestly. Our arrangement had lasted a year and a half, and during that time, it did start to feel a bit real, but...it hadn't felt right. However, it had proven to me what I'd already known—I was a master through and through. That had been the only thing about our arrangement that had felt right.
Haley looked relieved at my answer. Perhaps too relieved.
"What are you doing here, Haley?" I tried again, hoping for a better answer this time.
"I...ah...I missed the city. Los Angeles wasn't as exciting as I thought. It was too slow-paced for me."
"And yet, you stayed there for...five years? It couldn't have been all that bad." After our arrangement ended, she found a new master, one who eventually became her boyfriend. When he got a job in LA, she moved with him.
"Six years," she corrected but didn't comment on the latter.
"Six years, right." I nodded. "It still doesn't answer my question. What are you doing at Desire's Den?"
"Oh." She suddenly looked unsure, and I cursed my harsh tone. I usually wasn't this impatient, but with the lack of sleep these past days, I was lucky to keep my eyes open, not to mention holding a somewhat decent conversation. "I was hoping...." Haley trailed off, shaking her head slightly.
"What did you hope for?" I made sure to keep my voice gentle. Now that I'd gotten a better look at Haley, there were changes to her that were impossible not to notice. For one, she never used to be unsure of herself. And two, there was this kind of sadness to her that I hadn't seen in her before. Sure, a lot could change in six years, but it seemed to be more than a mere change.
"I'd hoped that maybe...that maybe you could take me on as your slave again?" Her voice started to waver as she spoke, further hinting that something had changed. Something bad.
"What about Malcolm?" I believed I'd remembered her boyfriend's name correctly.
She shrugged. "We broke up years ago. I just...I need to get back in the scene."
"What aren't you telling me?" I asked, suspicious that she was contacting me out of the blue after not having talked to her for years.
Haley's eyes widened in surprise. Collecting herself, she shook her head in disbelief. "I've forgotten how good you are at reading people," she said with a nervous laugh.
"Haley...I haven't seen you for years. Why now?" I questioned.
"I told you. I want you to be my master again," she stated, and I kept myself from objecting that there was no 'again' because we were never truly master and slave. "I've had three masters since Malcolm, and none of them did it for me. There was no chemistry or even sparks. I didn't have with them what we used to have. Will you consider taking me on as your slave?"
"I'm sorry, Haley, but I can't do that." Even if Emma wasn't in the picture, did she really expect us to start up right where we left off several years ago and in a 'pretend' BDSM relationship at that?
Her head hung in disappointment, but her eyes told me she knew my answer before I spoke. "Is it...is it because of the new girl?"
Now it was my turn to be surprised. "How do you know about her?"
"People in our circle talk, Ma—Mr. Cross. I heard there was a new girl in the picture and that you and your friends were sharing her." Her last comment seemed almost tainted with jealousy, but her facial expression showed none of that.
"Then why ask if you already knew I had someone else?" My jaw clenched, not liking the thought of someone dismissing Emma like that.
She shrugged again, a sad smile on her lips. "I thought it was worth a shot, or else I would've regretted not asking. I hope you take no offense to it. I just..." she sighed. "I need someone who can take care of me, you know? And truth be told, you were the only one I could think of."
"I did take offense, though," I quipped. "I understand you might be in a dilemma and need someone you trust, but I do not appreciate the dismissal of my submissive." Former submissive, but I didn't feel the need to add that. Besides, for the moment, we were only on a break, not broken up.
"Submissive?" Haley gaped, clearly shocked by the turns of events. She mustn't have heard about me taking on a submissive and not a slave through the grapevine. "That's unexpected. I thought you were a master? What made you change your mind?"
"I don't remember this being any of your business," I said harshly. Haley and I were through a long time ago, and I did not like the fact that she thought she could question me or any of my choices.
"Oh, it wasn't meant like that at all. I just meant...."
"You meant what, exactly?" I prompted impatiently.
"Well, I just never thought you were interested in submissives. You seemed so natural being a master."
I damn well was a master, but that side of me wasn't as important to me as Emma was. Not that I would tell Haley that—not that I would tell anyone that. Emma would never find out how being a master was ingrained in me because I wouldn't allow her to feel bad about my choice to give it up for her.
"You seem to forget yourself. We are not friends or confidants. Hell, we haven't seen each other for years. We're strangers who used to know each other once upon a time. Things changed. I have changed since then." I spoke with an edge that betrayed my irritation. My eyes narrowed when she shivered in what looked like pleasure, taking an unwelcome liking to my tone. If she didn't backtrack soon, I would kick her the hell out of my office and my building.
Her hand shook as she brushed a hair strand from her face, but she managed to compose herself, shaking off the slight lust in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn." Another sigh. "I'm really not in the right headspace right now. It's not an excuse for my behavior, though. But I'm happy to hear you've found someone, truly. You deserve only the best."
"Thank you. You do too." But it won't be me.
With that strained smile, I was sure she heard what hung silently in the air. "Thanks. But just so you know, I didn't come all this way just to ask you if you would become my master again."
"Then what was the other reason?"
"I want to renew my membership at your club," Haley stated. "I've heard the prices have gone up since the last time I was a member, but the costs won't be a problem." No, I would think not, seeing as she'd inherited millions from her mother.
Everything inside me told me not to accept her as a member. Maybe it was because of her apparent interest in me or because of the way she tried to insert herself back into my life, all the while knowing I already was with someone else. Whatever the reason, I wanted to object to her joining my club.
I opened my mouth to do just that, but Haley cut me off.
"We got off on the wrong foot, and I realize it's completely my fault. I promise you that I will respect the boundaries you set, and I won't make further advances on you. Frankly, no club in the city measures up to this one, and you know I only want the best of the best."
"Fine," I said before I could regret it. "I'll set up a meeting for you with Marcus, and he'll discuss the membership with you."
Her face split into a wide smile. "Thank you, I appreciate it."
"Don't mention it." Seriously, don't. I didn't want more contact with her than needed.
After I sent her to Marcus, I tried to focus on my work, but my mind wasn't ready to let go of the encounter with Haley. Something about her seemed...off—like something was tugging at the back of my mind, but I couldn't grab ahold of it long enough to figure out what it was.
My phone rang, bringing me out of my thoughts. With a quick look at my screen, I answered.
"What's up?" I asked, wondering why Kevin was calling me. He never called; I was always the one who contacted him.
"Ah...hey, man," Kevin's voice sounded hesitant on the other line.
Immediately, I tensed. "What is it? Is Emma okay?"
"Actually, no, she's not."
Hope you enjoyed the read <3 Sorry (not sorry) about another cliffhanger!
Next chapter will be out on the 9th at around 11-12pm (GMT) xx