Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
But that was Lucian in a nutshell. His life could be organized into different boxes, and if he started wearing sweats at home, chances were he’d continue for the rest of his life. A wardrobe change was a big deal in his black-and-white world.
Considering he was officially unemployed now, who knew what else would change. Penelope had given him tomato seeds, right? Maybe he’d create a new box dedicated to gardening.
That’d be…interesting.
We followed the noise to the back of the house, where members were gathering to soak up the spring sun before the event. We said hey to Lucas and Colt, Greer, Sloan, and Archie, Macklin and Lane, and Gretchen. Safe to say, we weren’t the only ones who’d wanted to come out early.
The aforementioned noise wasn’t bad either. More like a low hum of lazy conversation. Several of our friends had reclined their chairs to just relax in the sun, have coffee, and… Okay, a glance at the tables let me know we weren’t the only ones who’d brought Easter candy either. I should’ve figured. Ivy, who was usually in charge of decorations for an event, was at home, resting, after she’d found out her iron levels were a little low. It was not the first time, if I remembered correctly. Either way, our event today… One might say it lacked that proper Easter feel. So we’d doubled up on a truckload of candy. And feathers. Macklin, Lane, and Tate had attached colorful feathers to the bushes along the property line, all the way down to the forest.
“Cam, you can go put on a diaper for Daddy,” Lucian said. “We’ll wait here on the patio. Find us when you’re done.”
“Right away, Owner.”
Fuck, yeah. I adjusted my cock as Lucian pushed me up the ramp to the deck.
“Did we lose Noa?” I asked, glancing around us.
“If it’s meant to be, he’ll find us,” Lucian replied.
I barked out a laugh and peered up at him over my shoulder. “I love the new you. You’re even funny at times.”
He parked me at the head of the table where the Finlays sat, and he did it with a bit too much force before he sat down next to Greer. Sloan was almost fully reclined and looked to be asleep, but he was gripping a baby monitor, so I was guessing they had a kid or two in their cabin. Presumably only the youngest, given that the older kids would wanna “join in” if they saw a bunch of people searching for Easter eggs in a couple hours.
“I was going to bring us something to drink, but you can get your own damn drink,” he told me. “For the record, I’ve always had a fantastic sense of humor.”
I grinned and dug out my shades from the side pocket in my chair. “Of course, baby. You can take a joke like a champ too.”
Greer coughed to hide a chuckle. “I’m glad to hear there’s no trouble in paradise.”
I slid on my shades and puckered my lips at Lucian.
Greer turned to Archie. “Go get these turtle doves some coffee, pet.”
“Of course, Master. I remember how they prefer it.” Archie rose from his seat and paused briefly. “Can I get you anything else?”
“That’s plenty. Thanks, pet.” I dumped the two bags of candy on the table and noticed Lucian frowning to himself. “Now what?”
He shook his head and glanced toward our cabin. “I think I need to speak to Cam about his chores today. I’m struggling to give him the simplest tasks nowadays.”
“He’s been sick,” I reasoned.
“I know, but you heard him this morning,” he said. “He feels better, and he’s bored. He’s worried I won’t return to high-protocol with him.”
“Is he right to be worried?” Greer wondered.
Lucian inclined his head. “Unfortunately. I just want to do everything for him lately—and I realize it’s my guilt talking. I also know I’m falling into this trap where I do the exact opposite of what he needs from me.”
“Trap?” I didn’t get that part.
“Because it’s how we’re raised to act in society,” he sighed. “When you fuck up, you cater to the person to make amends. You go the extra mile, you fuss, et cetera. But when you do that to a slave…”
Got it. Yeah, that made sense. Spoiling a domestic sub rotten with favors and completing their chores for them would legit make them unhappy.
“Sounds to me like you need to make room for both for a while.” Greer yawned and stretched out his arms over his head, then leaned back in his seat. “I reckon most of us go through those periods. I had one with Archie not too long ago—so I forced myself to go on with our routines, but I added some pamperin’ to the schedule too. If he kneeled by my feet, he got a scalp massage too. If he spent all day with the kids, I snuck him out for dinner, just the two of us.”