Page 38

"Wasn't a need," I answered, smirking at her. "This was for you and Marley."

"When's it going to be for Caroline?"

"When I feel like it." I yawned and stretched some. "How long are you in town?"

"A few weeks this time. Covering a rotation at U.W. Medical."

"Ah. You like it there."

"I do. I like working with Stella. Knowing you have this playroom in your delicious dwelling might have me setting up camp in your spare room." She grinned and ran her fingers through Marley's hair.

"You're welcome to it. Still have the key?"

"Sure do." She wagged her brows at me, and I laughed.

"Who else do you often scene with?"

"Marley and Hina. I invited Hina tonight, but she had to work."

"You love collecting nurses, don't you?" I grinned and ran my knuckles down Marley's cheek. She snuggled closer to Sam, though the content expression remained on her sleepy face. "Marley's a favorite of mine."

"Same, but for different reasons. You love bringing them to subspace. It's your greatest gift," she said, then pulled a blanket over Marley.

"I do. There's nothing as satisfying as that."

We fell quiet for a moment and my mind wandered to work for a fleeting second. Not because of the job, but because of who I left behind.

"What happened with Nora?" Sam asked, as if she read my mind.

"We called it off. Things were getting complicated." I looked back at her. "I never should've given in the first time. But she just…begged for it. Now I feel like I've gone and fractured our friendship because of it."

"Friends with benefits rarely works when you're in close proximity like the two of you. Especially since she's not actually a sub or your sub. Just an experimenter."

"I know. It was a bad call. This sounds fucking stupid." I watched her, my head dropping back against the pillows. "Like a high school drama."

"It's not stupid. You care about her and things changed. When was the last time you fucked her?"

"Over a month. We've tried hanging out, mainly with the group of our work friends. It's been okay, just not the same."

"It won't be because you love her." Sam smirked at me. "You soft little bitch."

I laughed and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling it back gently. Her smirk melted into a grin and her nails dug into my arm.

"Forget who taught you half of what you know?" I narrowed my eyes at her. "You're my bitch."

She laughed and turned her head to bite my arm. "Fuck you."

"Nah, Sami. Fuck you." I pulled her to me and smooched her cheek.

She smiled when I released her, her hands falling in Marley's hair again. "A sad Beast is a pathetic Beast, you know."

"My rose is losing its petals." I smirked at the stupid analogy. "But not really. I'll get over it."

"With Nora, I'm not so sure. Try talking to her. Doing normal friend stuff. What did you used to do before you started fucking?"

"That's the thing…literally nothing. We were just comfortable with each other. Talking all the time about nothing and everything. Arguing, too, of course, because she loves to pick fights with me."

"She loves to pick fights with you because your energy forces her back," she said. "She craves that from you, it sounds like. The same way she craves the subspace you give her. She cries every time?"