Page 41 of Regal Feather
Weeks ago, that had happened when I’d kissed Ever.
Today, I didn’t know what would need to happen. I doubted kissing Ever was in the cards for the night. Or that it would quiet all the voices in my head.
The phantom touches.
A full shiver ran down my spine.
FOURTEEN
ev
Santos didn’t knock on my door. He just spoke to me and waited until I answered. Sometimes he gave it a little kick or a nudge with his knee. Knocking was not a thing.
I didn’t know why it wasn’t, I only knew I couldn’t remember one single instance of him knocking on a door. Rasping on a doorframe might be the closest I’d seen him do.
“I’ll go down in a bit,” I called out anyway.
“Are you okay, Ev? I texted you, but I don’t think you’ve seen it?”
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Sergio.
Sergio was here, and Santos had let him up, which would have been fine, except Sergio was a rambler.
I facepalmed before forcing myself out of the cocoon I’d made in the bed. Was the house colder than it usually was? It felt that way. Unless I was actually coming down with something. It would be my luck, but not the first time. If I was feeling down about something, that was when my immune system decided to go kaput and let me grab all the bugs and anything else in the air.
Nah.
I was not going to add more to my plate right now. I was just going to open the door, convince Sergio that I was not dying, everything was fine, and I still loved him even if I wouldn’t be a member at Plumas, so he didn’t have to panic.
Of course, Erika was here, too.
Fuck.
I checked the time.
She always worked at the gym on Thursdays at this time. She was wearing athletic gear with the gym’s logo, too.
Sure, she didn’t look like she was going to tie me up to a bedpost, but as much as I respected her and followed her lead for all things kink, I’d always think of her—and León, and Tony, and all the other Domms that didn’t fall under a caretaker role—as scary.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, you went MIA. What were we supposed to do?” Sergio huffed. Then he tilted his head to the side. “Are you okay? If you’re struggling, I can help you air the room, or clean up, or something. You can join me and Daddy for a beach walk. They help him a lot.”
“Little one,” Erika warned him. From the tone, I bet it wasn’t the first time she had to stop him today. If she focused on him, though, she didn’t focus on me, so I wasn’t going to jump to the rescue right this moment. “Give people room to breathe. And maybe ask to walk into a room before badgering with questions.”
“But—” Sergio spluttered. “I live with Daddy, I can tell when someone’s struggling.”
“You, and I bet every human being with a decent amount of empathy,” she drawled.
Then she focused on me. I only saw her wearing heels at the club for workshops and stuff, but even without them, she was taller than me. I didn’t know if she was looking down at me with disapproval or not, but the angle didn’t keep me from fidgeting.
“Uh, hello. Ma’am.”
Did I defer to her with any protocol now? I wasn’t a member anymore. The cancellation had gone through two days ago, exactly twenty-four hours after I’d texted Sir Ismael.
