Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
As logical as that sounded, it was also stupid. We’d spent eighteen fucking years together, and now we couldn’t be in the same venue? Especially when we vacationed together and tried to eat dinner with our kids every damn day.
At the same time, I got it. Kink was supposed to be a private thing.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, standing up. “I want a beer and some of that smoked meat we picked up. Do you want any?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
It was time to put out my cigar anyway. I had no intention of saving it, so I put it out in the dirt. Then I pulled out my phone.
I’d been thinking about checking out the Mclean page since they’d launched the app, and now was a good time. I’d only lurk a little bit. While I had zero intention of returning, I did miss hanging out with my buddies.
I reactivated my account and came to a stop on my profile.
Married to @Rigger
That marriage had been reduced to a fucking technicality.
It had an expiration date too.
I clicked on Nate’s profile and felt a cold sweat wash over me. With dread and shock and hurt.
Rigger of @Aceyboy
Rigger of @KinbakuKid
Brother of @RopeNattie
“What the fuck,” I breathed.
Knowing that Nattie was just the Domme Nate ran the bondage group with, I ignored her and clicked on KinbakuKid. Who had listed himself as rope bunny of Rigger. A guy. Twenty-seven years old—oh, thank fuck. Exclusive with another Dom. Nate was only doing rope sessions with him. No deeper dynamic.
The next one, then.
Aceyboy. Who the fuck are you?
Pet of @Rigger
Twenty-five years old, over two hundred photos in his album, a couple of journal entries, and his profile text read—
And there it was.
No DMs! I’m dating @Rigger.
Ten Quick Ones:
All the rope!
Ace
Occasionally a brat
Cuddles and kisses
Domestic servitude
Allergic to fur babies, sadly
Obsessed with K-pop
Save the outdoors, stay inside
NOT a masochist
I hate politics
It felt like my heart had stopped.
My mouth went dry, and I stared unseeingly at the words.
I’m dating @Rigger
But how? What did they have in common aside from bondage? We were an outdoorsy family, for fuck’s sake. Nathan and I liked both cats and dogs, and we were definitely political. Some people from today’s generation didn’t fucking know how good they had it—or how hard we’d fought to get here.
I’m dating @Rigger
I coughed and went back to my own profile as embarrassment and anger pressed closer to the surface. Fuck it all. We were clearly done. He was moving on. He’d already met someone. I removed him from my profile, then promptly deactivated my account again.
Maybe hiding the breakup from Mikey and Lily had done me the disservice of making me hope that maybe…one day…possibly, it’d be Nate and me once more. We’d reunite. Maybe. But no. We were over. And I was done living in that suffocating apartment.
How can we be fucking over?
As soon as we got back to Virginia, I was gonna start looking for a house.
By the time Nate returned, I’d pocketed my phone, and I was just bracing myself for whatever. Honestly, I didn’t know if I could keep my mouth shut, if I was even supposed to, or how a potential confrontation would play out. Part of me wanted to punch him in the face. Another part was ready to beg him to take me back.
You’re dating someone, you motherfucker.
“It’s possible I’m feeling the effects of the whiskey,” he chuckled and sat down. “A cold beer for you.”
I stared at him and accepted the bottle.
Do you have feelings for him yet? How new is it? Is he good in the sack?
I twisted the cap off the beer as he opened the bag of smoked meat. A mix of jerky and sausage we’d found at a local farm yesterday. Funnily enough, when we’d bought it, I’d felt close to Nate. Like we weren’t done at all. We’d been laughing and having a good time. Even Hallie and Dylan had found us weird.
“I’ve been thinking,” Nate declared. “You should return to Mclean.”
Are you falling for him?
“Is that a fact.” I took a swig of the beer.
He nodded. “Yes. You made such wonderful friends out there, Ash. And if you want privacy—like I said—tell me before you head out, and I’ll stay away. It’s a big community. We can share it.”
Does he suck you off as well as I do?
“At least think about it,” he added. “I’d hate the thought of you alienating yourself. You need friends.”
Do you go on dates?
I tore my gaze from him and stared into the fire instead. It couldn’t hurt me as much as the rat bastard next to me.
Fucking hell, now I saw them too. Kissing, fucking, destroying our bed, going out to dinner, laughing, holding hands—
I was gonna be sick.
“Maybe you’re right,” I forced myself to say. “I should…rejoin society. Maybe meet someone.” Someone who wants me for who I am. “We’ve never suffered any shortage of subs and Littles who wanna play with us after all.”